Undescribable Perfection

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"Summer's Lease" was the first John Mortimer book that I ever read and it transported me to Tuscany then- and it does so every time that I've read it since. The film version manages to capture much of the magic of the book in a story about a slightly dysfunctional family vacationing in a somehow sinister, rental villa in Tuscany. While the family dynamics appear to be the main purpose of the plot, this is in fact, a mystery as wife Molly searches for details about the mysterious owner of the rented villa; asking questions of the quirky residents of the local `ex-pat' community and following the `della Francesca' trail in search of the art works of Peiro della Francesca, and ultimately `The Flagellation", `undoubtedly the greatest small painting in the world.' The scenery of Tuscany is enhanced by the background music (by a group called Chameleon) in a way the mere pictures could never do - an acceptable compromise for the book's descriptive prose. There are lots of laughs from the antics of the various characters, especially those of Molly's randy father, played to perfection by John Gielgud, but the underlying sense of intrigue is never lost. A very enjoyable mini series that, sadly, is not available on VHS or DVD. Well worth watching it ever appears again.

This drama was superbly cast, especially John Gielgud as Molly's philandering father. However Molly's journey of self discovery was underdeveloped as was the eventual climactic meeting with the mysterious "T. Buckland Kettering".The scenery of Tuscany is beautiful enough, but the acting does fall down in some places. For anyone wanting to appreciate Mortimer's classic, I suggest you read the book.

I don't need to reiterate anything about this mini series, since all of the previous comments do a good job of giving a thumb-nail sketch of the plot. However, I am willing to beg, borrow or steal a copy of this movie! Does anyone out there have a copy to sell to me??

I can only reiterate the plea of a previous reviewer: This wonderful little mini-series, faithfully rendering one of John Mortimer's quirkier novels, ought to be available on video! It has atmosphere, landscapes, art, history, politics, intrigue, character development, a sympathetic protagonist, comedy, pathos, tragedy... what more could you want? It's a regular little Tuscan antipasto of a mystery story! Well-filmed, well-acted, delightful. The only caveat is that the viewer needs to devote careful attention to the plot development, or you may miss it altogether.