Zettirel

@ Tea With Mussolini
wkk* Directed by Franco
Zeffirelli, Starring Cher,
Joan Plowright, Judi
Dench, Maggie Smith, Lily
Tomlin and Baird Wallace.

Julie Crawford
Fila reviews

FRANCO Zeffirelli’s
semi-autobiographical
account of his youth in
Italy is a pleasant sur-
prise: Tea With
Mussolini is less about
the director and more a
heertfelt tribute to the
stoic English ladies
who so influenced him.

The film centres on a
community of old English
dames who, for one reason
or another, have made
Florence their home.

Luca, the illegitimate son
of a self-absorbed clothier,
is reluctantly adopted by
Mary Wallace (Joan
Plowright) who can’t bear
to see the boy returned to
his orphanage. She under-
takes the charge of educat-
ing him to be “the perfect
English gentleman.”

The task, being too
much for the elderly Mary,
is enthusiastically adopted
as a pet project for the
women.

Arabella (Judi Dench)
will help mould Luca’s
artistic sensibilities, in
between trying co save his-
toric Italian frescoes. A visit
from American Elsa
Morgenthall (Cher) guaran-
tees Luca’s fortune, much
to the chagrin of haughty
dovenne Lady Hester
(Maggie Smith), who
abhors all things American.

As Facism sweeps
through Italy, Lady Hester
uses her clout as widow of
the British ambassador to
mect with Mussolini, She
receives his personal guar-
antee that no harm will

come to the English, the first of several falschoods chat
Lady Hester stubbornly clings to.

Maggie Smith has by far the funniest lines in the film.
Looking with distaste at a Knickerbocker Glory, she com-
ments on how the Americans have even managed “to vul-
garize ice eream.” And the gall she displays when barking
orders at her Italian hosts is both comical and embarrass-

in:

The calibre of acting is excellent all around. The English
love affair with Italy is well-trodden ground for veteran
actresses Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright,
who have fallen in love with Italy before in such films as A
Room With A View and Enchanted April.

Photo Phillppe Antonello

CHER stars as weaithy American art collector Elsa Morganthal in Franco
Zeffireili's Tea with Mussolini. The film opens today at Fifth Ave. Cinemas.

‘Cher too is a standout as the crass, moneyed American
who says of her larest husband: “He’s an angel, or soon will
be.”

Baird Wallace brings an earnest sweetness to the role of
Luca, a boy without a real family, a true nationality (born
Iralian, raised English and schooled Austrian), or a purpose
in life, until he joins the resistance.

Zeffirelli’s sumptuously shot film has no pretensions: it
makes no political statement and dovsn’t delve deeply into
the events leading up to the Second World War, It is a sim-
ple and delightful tale of women who chose Italy as their
home and were willing to stay at all costs ... so long as they
were served their tea on time.

NN

“Return of the Ooprey”

B Park & Tilford Cineplex
200. 333 Brooksbank,
North Vancouver (985: 39 Pb)
Entrapment (PGa 12.40,
1, 3:10, 3:30, 6:55, THES,
9:25 9:50 pam. Mav bb Ee
Entrapment (PGi > i Mav
1816220, 6:40, 9.9716 pan
The Mummy (14.45 -

12:45, E10, 3:20) 3:40. 7 O85,
7:30, 9:45, 10 pam. aa 730
pam. show Sat, May PS 1 May
14-17;

The Mummy (34.4) -- : Mav
18) 7, 7:10, 835, 9:50 pam.
The Mummy (14A) -- 10:45
am... 1:20, 1:30, 4:20, 4:25,
7:20, 7:30, 10.20, F0:30 p.m.
(May 19, 20 only) plus Wed,
May 19 12:40 am.

A Midsummers’ Night
Dreant (PGi) —— 12:30, 3,
6:45, 9:30 pam. (May 14-17)
A Midsummers’ Night
Dream (PG) — (Mav 18
only) 6:50, 9:30 p.m.

A Midsummers’ Night
Dream (PG}— (Mav 19, 20)
12:45, 3:20, 6:45, 9:40 p.m.
Never Been Kissed (PG) —
12:55, 25, 9:40 p.m.
(May 14-17)

Never Been Kissed (?}G) —-
7:20, 9:40 pam. (May 18 only)
Notting Hill (PG) —- 7 p.m.
Sat, May 15 oniy

Star Wars-Episode } (not yer
rated) —- 9:30, 10:15 aim.,
12:30, 1:15, 3:30, 4:15, 6:30,
7:15, 9:30, 10:15 p.m. (May
19, 20 only) phis Wed, May
19 12:01 a.m.

& Esplanade 6 Cinemas
200 W. Esplanade, North
Vancouver (983-2762)

The Matrix — Fn, Mon-Thu
7:10, 9:55 pan.

Sat/Sun 1:30, 4:20, 7:10,
9:55 p.m.

Cookie’s Fortune — Fri,
Mon-Thu 7, 9:50 p.m.
Sat/Sun 1:45, 4:15, 7, 9:50
p.m.

Black Mask — Fn, Mon-Thu
7:30, 9:40 p.m. Sat/Sun i:55,
4:05, 7:30, 9:40 p.m.
Election — Fri, Mon-Thu
7:20, 9:45 p.m. Sat/Sun 1:50,
4:25, 7:20, 9:45 p.m.

Baby Geniuses — Sat/Sun
1:35

Analyze This — Fri, Mon-
Thu 7:15, 9:30 p.m. Sat/Sun
4:10, 7:15, 9:30 p.m.

She’s All That — Fri, Mon-
Thu 7:25, 9:35 p.m. Sat/Sun
2:05, 4:30, 7:25, 9:35 p.m.

@ Caprice Park Royal

South

West Vancouver (926-6699)
Waking Ned Devine (PG) —
7:05 p.m.

Life is Beautiful (PG) —
7:30, 9:25 p.m.

Shakespeare in Love (PG) —
7, 9:20 p.m.

Existenz (18A) — 9 p.m.

ae

BCN IMAX

26] 999 Canada Place +ON2
46291

Three programs showing,
Extreme --- 1.15, 3:45. 7,9.
10pm.

Ajaska: Spirit of the Wild
6,8 p.m. dais

‘Y-Rex: Back to the
Cretaceous ~ noon, 2:30,
4:45 pom.

@ Fifth Avenue Cinemas
110 Burrard at ath,
Vancouver (734-8700)
Lovers of the Arctic Circle
(PGi = 7. 9:20 pam, phos
Sat/Sun §:40, 4:35 p.m.
The Dreamilife of Angels
(ISA) ~~ 7:05, 940 p.m. plus
Sat/Sun 0:50, 4:15 pam. and
Tue 4:15 pom.
Tea with Mussolini (PG) - -
6:35, 9:30 pum. plus Sat/Sun
1:30, 4:05 pom. and Tue 4:05
pm.
Election (18A) —~ 7:15, 9:3
p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2:10, 4:2
p.m. and Tue 4:25 p.m.
Celebration (18A) — 7:10,
9:25 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 2,
445 p.m. and Tue 4:45 p.m.

5
5

@ Park Theatre

3440 Cambie at 18th,
Vancouver (876-2747)

A Midsummer’s Night
Dream (1G) — 7, 9:30 p.m.
plus Sat/Sun 1:30, 4 p.m.

@ Varsity Theatre

4375 West 10th at Trimble,
Vancouver (222-2235)
Three Seasons (PG) — F,
9:30 p.m. plus Sat/Sun 1:30,
4 p.m.

@ Hollywood Theatre
3123 West Broadway,
Vancouver (738-3211)
Rushmore (PG) — 7:30 p.m.
The Other Sister (144A) —
9:15 p.m.

B Pacific Cinematheque
1131 Howe Sr., Vancouver
(684-3456)

Preston Sturges series of mew 35
gain prints continues with:
Sullivan’s Travels (1941) —
Fri, May 14, 7:30 p.m., Sar,
May 15, 9:15 p.m. The Palm
Beach Story (1942) — Fri,
May 14, 9:15 p.m., Sat, May
15, 7:30 p.m. Hail the
Conquering Hero (1944) —
Fri, May 28, 7:30 p.m., Sat,
May 29, 9 p.m. Christmas in
July (1940) — Fri, May 28,
9:30 p.m., Sat, May 29, 7:30
p.m.

Tivo filins of Fouchang
Allainari: ¥ Love Vienna
(1941) — Sun, May 16, 7:30
p.m., Mon, May 17, 9:30
p.m. and Vancouver premiere
of Fear of Heights (1942) —
Sun, May 16, 9:30 p.m.,
Mon, May 17, 7:30 p.m.

if
x

eg AS

an DIVES experience:

EXTREME takes you to the edge
of human achievement ih some of the most
intense naturai sealms imaginable.

Festival “99
Sunday 16th May

Pacific Environmental Sclence Centre (PESC)
& The Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats
2645 Dollarton Highway, North Vancouver

BT

WILD BIRD TRUST
of British Columbia

sroudly PEs ated by

Hatz Hair Design “Cut-a-thon” $10 a cut, under the tent!
OspreyWatch with Bushaell at Osprey Point

Are Exhibition by international bird artiste Lex Alfred Hedley
Wildlife Plants available by “donation” from WBT’s Nursery
Guided Tour of the Pacific Environmental Science Centre

My Backyard Musical Theatre “The Day that Frog laughed”

Guided Nature Walk (1 1/2 kr. walk) - meet at the Sanctuary Office
Naturescape Ambassador Sylvia Pincott - a slide presentation

10 a.m.- 4. p.m.

SPIRIT OF THE WILD

Showtimes: Daily
at 6pm an

10 - 10.45 a.m.
11- 11.45 a.m.
Noon

2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Showtimes: Daily at
12 noon, 2:30pm and 4:45pm

Become a member of WBT at che Festival and receive a free Garry Oak tree!

cORW vine