Light in the Piazza

I watched this one "by accident" (by discovery) and was very moved by the film. The wonderful performances by Olivia and Rossano definitely elevate it, and the youngsters were sympathetic. I was, frankly, surprised by Hamilton's controlled and sensitive performance as Fabrizzio.

This movie deserves better treatment from the former reviewer. While definitely a travelogue and clearly a period piece, it still has something timeless to say about happiness and the human condition; that the inability to love and be loved may be the biggest disability of all.

Olivia de Havilland is a worried mother travelling through scenic Italian locations with daughter Yvette Mimieux, who is mentally retarded. When a young Italian starts courting her daughter and showing up in the most unlikely places, de Havilland's predicament becomes apparent. Should she tell the truth or let her daughter marry the rather simple-minded Italian boy? The situation was better described in the novella by Elizabeth Spencer, but the Epstein brothers have given the screenplay some grace and humor--and de Havilland is superb as the doting mother. Rosanno Brazzi adds his brand of charm to the boy's father and there is a light touch of romance between him and de Havilland. George Hamilton is surprisingly convincing as the smitten Italian youth, Yvette Mimieux does well enough as the girl and Barry Sullivan does what he can with the thankless role of her stubborn father who would rather see her placed in an institution. All of it is nicely photographed in Italian locales and in wide-screen technicolor (see the letterbox version if you can). This unappreciated film is a minor gem--poignant, touching and humorous.

This film walks a fine line between touchingly sweet romance and unintentional hilarity. It comes out on the better side of quality drama thanks to some sincere acting by de Havilland and the wry romanticism of Brazzi. Ms. de Havilland is a wealthy tourist on an extended stay in Florence, Italy with her beautiful, but childlike daughter (Mimieux). Mimieux has suffered an accident which left her with a stunted mental age and de Havilland has taken her abroad to keep her out of trouble as she blossoms physically and attracts men. (With this in mind, Italy may not have been first stop on most people's itinerary!) Hamilton is a very eager and adorable young Italian who falls head over heels for Mimieux and eventually furrowed-browed de Havilland must determine whether to move on or allow her daughter a chance at happiness, at the possible expense of her suitor. Brazzi stirs things up as Hamilton's father and Sullivan adds some welcome conflict as de Havilland's hard-nosed husband. Mimieux does a very fine job presenting this difficult character. She is definitely inappropriately childish, yet lovely and sweet. She has one particularly effective scene in which she becomes overexcited and nearly hyperventilates. Hamilton is charming and appealing and Brazzi is ever-suave. Ms. de Havilland (decked out in crisp, tailored, Christian Dior clothes throughout) projects the right amount of concern and longing for her daughter's happiness. She even gets a carriage ride that is only slightly less rough than the one Vivien Leigh took her on in "Gone With the Wind"! She is the emotional core of the film. (People continually refer to her tan in the film, but she looks as pale as a cameo most of the time!) A must in widescreen format, the location filming adds much flavor to the film (which makes it all the more jarring when background screens are used...thankfully very little.) From a certain perspective, the film's message could be quite offensive. It seems to suggest that if a retarded girl wants to be happy, get married and have a family, she only has to go to Italy where no one will be able to tell and she won't have to do much of anything anyway!

While vacationing in beautiful Italy, Olivia de Havilland (as Meg Johnson) watches lovely daughter Yvette Mimieux (as Clara) and handsome Italian George Hamilton (as Fabrizio Naccarelli) fall hopelessly in love. Although the two seem perfect for each other, Ms. Mimieux suffers from a secret disability. Aching for her daughter to lead a normal life, Ms. de Havilland is unable to tell Mr. Hamilton or father Rossano Brazzi about Mimieux' condition. Father of the potential bride Barry Sullivan (as Noel Johnson) is against the wedding...

You've got to stop wondering why nobody but her parents seem to notice or care about Mimieux' delicate condition, especially Hamilton; and, moreover, since it's not a problem, how it could matter. Director Guy Green and cinematographer Otto Heller give "Light in the Piazza" some beautiful scenery. Hamilton and Mimieux are an incredibly good-looking couple. And, de Havilland is marvelous to watch, filling her conflicted wife and mother character with enough to have warranted some "Best Actress" consideration.

******* Light in the Piazza (2/7/62) Guy Green ~ Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton, Rossano Brazzi

Caught this one on Turner Classic, and for the longest time was stuck in a battle of the wills - turn it off and walk away, or allow inertia to force me to be on the couch through the whole thing. After all, I have better things to do with my time than watch George Hamilton attempt to play a young Italian lover. Inertia chalked up an embarrassing victory.

Inertia had help. This movie grew on me, because it danced the Hollywood formula for romance in front of me and then backed away from the pat and added a layer of depth to the situation. The story, in brief is as follows: DeHavilland and Mimieux are the mother and daughter from a monied American family (shares in a tobacco company) on an extended vacation in Italy. There is something wrong with the daughter. With a daughter who looks like Yvette Mimieux it is not long before a young Florentine, Hamilton, sees her and is smitten, and if you aren't familiar with who Yvette Mimieux is, suffice it to say that she was one of the most gorgeous and kittenish actresses of the early 1960's, all flaxen blonde hair, blue doe eyes and curves. To say her Clara character is a bit simple and sweet is an understatement. With his broken English, Hamilton's character does not detect anything is wrong and pursues the romance anyway, getting the concierge to tip him off as to where the mother and daughter will be going that day and just happening to show up uninvited, to Mimieux's delight and Dehavilland's growing consternation. The mother is conflicted - the boy wants to marry her daughter, but she can't let him (and his family) take her without knowing the truth.

This film is carried by DeHavilland's complex and powerful performance as a woman who has buried her hopes for her child only to see them being struck alight very much against her will. And in spite of numerous opportunities to do so, Epstein's script manages to hold off surrender to bathos, providing an interesting ending that left me surprised.

Not to say that this film had everything going for it. Casting George Hamilton as a young Italian can best be described as adventurous. Mimieux's Clara really does grow in Italy, but anyone familiar with her wide-eyed acting will know that she was an unlikely candidate to ever effectively portray a rocket scientist. Their pairing as the lovers had to have been concocted by the studio marketing department. Since the charisma supply on the lovers is not exactly overflowing the dike, DeHavilland's performance becomes even more important.

Some wonderful vistas are rendered of Florence, one of the world's loveliest cities. Coupled with DeHavilland's slow and patient explanations to the befuddled Mimieux of what they are looking at and how it is important, the film also provides a short travelogue of Florence that even an Englishman could follow.