up at the villa ( 2000 ) half warn represent you may find some spoiler aheadit hard to know what be the point in up at the villa and a gorgeous but shallow period piece and one of those make with the only objective of earn oscar nomination for best costume design and art set direction ( one for cinematography and another for score be also welcome ) . it have the same basic idea of thousand of period piece produce every year represent a good look and intelligent woman try to find love in a strange place to her . she have many difficulty but ultimately find her happiness in the arm of a man that be not the one that she have an accomplishment with . in this case and our lady be in florence and some time before world war ii . she be an english widow engage to a rich but old man ( whom and obviously and she doesn not love ) . one day she meet another man and who have not a good reputation but for whom she fall in love . of course there be her friend who will help her for good or bad and a third man who commit suicide here and in the lady room and set up a risky situation for her . guess how the story end . up at the villa be not a bad film . i be always quite interested in the story and but never get excite . the problem be not the slow pacing and but the screenplay . adapt from a novel and it need something more spicy and exciting and twist and suspense . every time you think the story will get warm and it get cooler again . if you think there be a conspiracy involve the mean police chief of florence and well and there be and but it doesn not change almost anything in the story . it just keep go and go and till the predictable end . a i say and up at the villa be not bad . if it be a bit bland and it never get sappy and too sentimental . the acting be half and half and but surely convinces . kristin scott thomas make some really bad choice after the english patient ( the saaaaaaappy romantic drama the horse whisperer and the dull or irritate random heart ) . up at the villa be undoubtly well than those piece and kristin be also well and but she can do more than that . sean penn be good a always and even if his character be a big dude . anne bancroft be a terrific actress ( the graduate and my god . ) and and here she doesn not let her character become ridiculous . now and the supporting actor be pretty bad ( jeremy davy be sooooooooooo irritate . ) . the directing be good and but not audacious . it be interest to know that the director be the same of angel and insect ( also star kristin scott thomas ) and another so so period drama and but more audacious than this . what matter here be the visuals . florence be wonderful and the costume be great and the scenery and the music . in the end and up at the villa be an average romantic drama and but of course it could have be much well . it be watchable and interesting and but do not expect a suspense film it be not . this film kind of fails because it want to have some mystery and something to behold . however and there be not much to say mainly because of the shallow screenplay . now and about the oscar nomination and do not worry it will probably get them .