Under the Tuscan Sun

Directed by Audrey Wells, Under the Tuscan Sun follows recently-divorced writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) as she impulsively purchases an Italian villa while on vacation in Tuscany. Filmmaker Wells, armed with her own screenplay, delivers a watchable yet ceaselessly erratic drama that is, from start to finish, elevated by Lane’s charming, ingratiating performance, as the actress turns in compelling work that ultimately goes a long way towards smoothing over the hit-and-miss narrative’s various bumps and lulls – with, as well, the picture benefiting from its irresistibly scenic visuals and emphasis on the day-to-day lives of several periphery figures. There’s little doubt, then, that Under the Tuscan Sun‘s overall effectiveness is diminished by an often excessively deliberate pace and palpably overlong running time, as Wells suffuses the proceedings with several far-from-enthralling scenes and sequences that exacerbate the movie’s lackadaisical, inconsistent vibe. (This is particularly true of a subplot involving two love-struck teens that culminates with a fairly underwhelming and anticlimactic wedding.) By the time the upbeat, feel-good finale rolls around, Under the Tuscan Sun has cemented its place as a decent-enough endeavor that should unquestionably have topped out at an hour and a half.

**1/2 out of ****