The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) (TV)

Director:

Robert Allan Ackerman

Writers:

Martin Sherman (writer)
Tennessee Williams (novella)

Release Date:

4 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A failing star is faced with a life-style change when her rich husband suddenly dies while they are en route to Italy...

Plot Keywords:

Gigolo | Aging | May December Romance | Companion | Actress

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 10 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Karen Stone
Olivier Martinez	...	Paolo di Lio
Anne Bancroft	...	Contessa
Rodrigo Santoro	...	Young Man
Brian Dennehy	...	Tom Stone
Roger Allam	...	Christopher
Victor Alfieri	...	Lorenzo
Suzanne Bertish	...	Julia
Jane Bertish	...	Karen's Secretary
Tara Lynne O'Neill	...	Angel Hunter
Salvatore Lazzaro	...	Barber
Sara James	...	Hairdresser
Riccardo Sardonè	...	Marco (as Riccardo Sadroné)
Dona Granata	...	Mama Pepisco
Aldo Signoretti	...	Papa Pepisco

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

Israel:108 min | USA:114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Showtime Networks

Trivia:

'Ann Bancroft (I)''s last live action film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Paolo takes off his shirt in the car, the blue tattoo on his chest shows through the makeup intended to conceal it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

fascinating yet not very good

It may seem a contradiction, but I found this adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play strangely fascinating, just not very good. I will try to explain. Helen Mirren is a wonderful actress, she's spot on as the unhappy Karen Stone trying to cling to her youth and deep down fully aware that her young man is only taking advantage of her. He may begin to care about her, but when pushed he will always put himself first.

But good as Helen Mirren is, she can't make up for the sorry Olivier Martinez, goodlooking or not, the man simply couldn't act to save his life! And everybody else seems like a heavyhanded caricature, Karen alone is a human being with feelings. Not that Brian Dennehy, Anne Bancroft and others don't try, they just don't register.

The setting is perfect, the costumes great, but the story drags along. It's all highly dramatic, but as Helen Mirren is the only one with a decent part and the only one actually ACTING everything dies when she's off screen. One great performance isn't enough.

Only reason to keep hanging there to the dreary end is that Williams' play is still so powerful it matters little that it's pretty outdated now, or that Martinez is miscast. Williams is the master of fascinating trash, and even this limp adaptation can't undo this fact.

Oh, and Rodrigo Santoro as the dirty young man has the face of an angel! He's simply beautiful - and perhaps lucky that his part does not require great acting skills, only sad puppy eyes?

So, "The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone" isn't unwatchable, only not very good.