Review

Up At The Villa, shown on the day before the closing of the 43rd Annual San Francisco International Film Festival, is based on the novella by W. Somerset Maughm. It stars Kirstin Scott Thomas, Sean Penn, Anne Bancroft, James Fox, Derek Jacobi and Jeremy Davies.

The scene is Florence. The time, 1938. It is after the signing of the Munich Pact but just before the Great War. The expatriate Anglo-English upper crust are playing at their superficial games of unreality and unconcern for the current world order when they are suddenly jolted into the rude awakening of the Nazi/Fascist takeover of their and everyone else's world.

Directed by San Francisco Bay Area's Philip Haas, written and edited by Belinda Haas specifically with Kristin Scott Thomas and Sean Penn in mind as the unexpected lovers. Mary Panton, (Scott Thomas) is the current resident of the borrowed villa. Her husband, a notorious womanizer and alcoholic, recently died, leaving her in debt and at the mercy of the kindness of her eccentric well healed friends.

Bancroft plays the wealthy American Princess San Ferdinando, who sets up a dinner, seating Mary next to Rowley, also an American with an almost ex-wife and a somewhat unwholesome past. There is instant chemistry between the two, but Penn comes on a bit too aggressive and cliche for Scott Thomas to become serious at the beginning.

Though Mary is still desirable and desirous of another love, she is torn between a marriage of expedience and status with Sir Edgar, (James Fox) or a wild love affair of sheer abandonment and passion with the "good time guy."

The unforeseen adventure unfolds in and around the villa in the two days between the time Sir Edgar, who is off to conduct some British government business concerning their colony in India, proposes marriage to Mary and his eminent return when he expects Mary to have an answer.

What ensues, is the suicide of a young German refugee who has a one night affair with Mary. This unfortunate accident takes place in Mary's bedroom. This self inflicted crime can easily be misconstrued and taken to be murder -with Mary as perpetrator. In her desperation, who does Mary call upon? None other than Rowley (Penn).

Anne Bancroft delivers an over the top performance, stealing scenes all over the place with her overdone makeup, up front sassy talk and lots of bon mots...the fact that she admits not marrying for money but because "he was rich, titled and Italian". She's not all wacky though.

FilmFestivals.com reporter
Yvonne Walter