Shirley Valentine British actress Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key, local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times, and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. –Tom Keogh
Customer Review: Fantastic film. HIGHLY recommend.
This is one of my very favorite movies of all time. It has an uplifting, powerful message for ANY woman, but we 40-somethings will especially appreciate it!:)
I completely and totally agree with others who ask WHY isn’t this movie available on Region 1 DVD? There are so very many of us here in the U.S. who would jump at the chance to have this in a format other than VHS!

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Enchanted April (1991) This lovely, 1991 adaptation of Elizabeth Von Arnim’s novel has a superb cast and a tone so mellow you can feel your pulse get slower. Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson play a pair of unhappily married women who rent an Italian villa for a month, sharing the rent with a crusty Englishwoman (Joan Plowright) and a lonely aristocrat (Polly Walker). Sun, rest, sinking into the green grass for long naps–they all have a soulful effect on the quartet, and then on the men in their lives who make a surprise visit. Mike Newell (Into the West) directs with seeming effortlessness, and it is impossible not to be swayed by the promise of restoration for these burdened characters–or for anyone alive. Wonderful performances all around, including a particularly sensitive one by Alfred Molina and a very funny one by Jim Broadbent. –Tom Keogh
Customer Review: Take a vacation to Italy….from your chair
This movie is in my Top Ten list. Like other reviewers, I watch this movie whenever I feel the need to escape to a tranquil place. The plot, the characters, and the location all intertwine beautifully. So much that you may find yourself in the castle with them.

I am hoping the studio releases Enchanted April in DVD format. You’d think by now the studio would release it!! (If you are from the studio, take heed…the DVD will sell well! And while you are at it, throw in some extras, like a 2nd DVD with actor/director/producer commentaries, a short similar film, etc.)

I recommend this movie to eveyone.

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