Stealing Beauty
by Bernardo Bertolucci
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Carlo Cecchi, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Sin?ad CusackDirector: Bernardo Bertolucci
Brand: TYLER,LIV
Cinematographer: Darius Khondji
Writer: Bernardo Bertolucci
Editor: Pietro Scalia
Producer: Chris Auty
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Producer: Yves Attal
Writer: Susan Minot
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 118 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-01-08
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Stealing Beauty
Movie Review: A little bare, but nothing short of beautiful...
Summary: 4 Stars
Bernardo Bertolucci is one of those directors you either love or hate. He can easily rub someone the wrong way with his exploitation and ceaseless explicit content, but when one understands the message behind Bertolucci's apparent sensual frustrations he can be appreciated for much more than he is usually regarded as. His films are not mere `skin flicks' as some have felt the need to wrongfully accuse them of being. In fact, some of his films are sheer masterpieces (`Last Tango in Paris' is above and beyond one of the best films ever made) and even those that fall somewhat short of his intellectual reaching (`The Dreamers' was close but yet so far from his potential) are still much more than meets the eye. `Stealing Beauty' is one of his weaker films, for it doesn't have the emotional or even the political depth of his other work, but it still manages to carry itself rather well and touches upon much more than bare skin.
The story is a coming of age tale that revolves around a nineteen year old virgin named Lucy. After her mother's suicide, Lucy travels to Italy to visit friends of her mothers. Her mother had journeyed to this artistic retreat twenty years prior and had become pregnant with Lucy, so Lucy's agenda in visiting is to find her real father; and lose her virginity. There are many different individuals whom she meets and forms friendships with, including Ian, the serious sculptor who is intrigued by Lucy's innocence, as well as Alex, the dying guest who stimulates Lucy intellectually.
And then there are a slew of young Italian boys who find her just utterly delicious.
While the film centers itself on Lucy's libido and her desire to lose that prized possession known as her virginity (why are we so quick to give away something so precious) it isn't merely about that act. While staying at this home Lucy is given a glimpse a life very far removed from her own; a life of carefree passions and removed from all scrutiny. There are scenes where characters parade about in the nude; no one reluctant but everyone comfortable and content. It appears shocking to some and maybe even repulsive, but the truth of the matter is that Bertolucci is trying to show the contrasting variables of self contentment. As an American culture we are often guarded, as if we are afraid to expose ourselves to others. The fact that everyone at this house is that open, even the unfit and or older ones, shows that there is a level of self respect and love that is not found in a lot of individuals today.
The acting is all pretty well done, with only a few missteps. Sinead Cusack and Rachel Weisz stand out amidst all the pretty faces as two very talented and very moving actresses. Liv Tyler is gorgeous and has a sense of restraint needed to carry her character, but she does at times get lost in the scenes. A lot has been said over Jeremy Irons performance, but personally I didn't find him nearly as moving as the late Donal McCann who handled Ian with such fervor. He really understood how to embody his character with the right amount of smoldering sensuality that made him utterly irresistible. His eyes were just downright piercing.
This is no where near as deeply investing as `Last Tango in Paris', but it is much more than some reviewers have made it sound. This is not a `boring film only good for a shot of Tyler's goods' but a sensible and honest portrait of a young girl finding herself amidst people who truly understand what it means to be free.
Summary of Stealing Beauty
Director Bernardo Bertolucci explores one girl's personal journey into womanhood in this romantic adventure starring Liv Tyler and Jeremy Irons.Critics were decidedly mixed about this 1996 drama from Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, and the movie enjoyed only a brief theatrical release. Now it's best known for its early appearance by Liv Tyler as a 19-year-old beauty named Lucy who summers at a villa in Tuscany with a variety of artistic types who immediately respond to her inspirational innocence. An amateur poet who has decided it's time to lose her virginity, Lucy has come to Italy after the death of her mother, who visited this artist's refuge 20 years earlier. Several young Italian men find Lucy quite heavenly (she is, after all, Liv Tyler), and she's not immune to their attentions, but she'd rather spend time with a playwright (Jeremy Irons) who is dying of AIDS and therefore has something other than sex on his mind. The movie's plot is about as substantial as Tyler's character (she's sexy, all right, but hardly an intellectual muse), but Stealing Beauty creates a serene mood that's so soothing you'll want to book a flight to Tuscany immediately, just to soak up the setting's idyllic atmosphere. If you're in the right frame of mind, this movie is like a balm for the soul, and Tyler and Bertolucci can share the credit for making this two-hour vacation so charmingly relaxing. --Jeff Shannon
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