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Movies / On DVD / Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty

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Stealing Beauty (1996)

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51 %
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Reviews Counted:47

Fresh:24

Rotten:23

Average Rating:5.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: When 19-year-old Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) arrives in Tuscany, wondering about her mother (a recent suicide) and still nursing a crush on Niccolo, the local playboy she met on a visit four years... When 19-year-old Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) arrives in Tuscany, wondering about her mother (a recent suicide) and still nursing a crush on Niccolo, the local playboy she met on a visit four years earlier, everyone sits up and takes notice--especially director Bernardo Bertolucci, who trains his camera on the ingenue with understandable enthusiasm. The Graysons, who own the artists' colony and villa where Lucy's mother once wrote poetry, take the young girl in, and their guests enjoy the infusion of youth. Perhaps most deeply affected is Alex Parrish (Jeremy Irons), a terminally ill writer who finds Lucy charming and vital. Before such attentions, Lucy's interest in Niccolo (who turns out to be a jerk) quickly fades, replaced by an unexpected mystery regarding the identity of her father and a possible new love. And in a further attempt to understand her mother, Lucy writes light little poems as well. (Bertolucci has her words appear on the screen as she scribbles.) In fact, everything seems light in lush and lovely in Tuscany, which provides a gorgeous setting for the gifted ensemble to play out their intrigues. [More]

Starring: Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Donal McCann, Stefania Sandrelli

Starring: Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Donal McCann, Stefania Sandrelli, Jean Marais, Francesco Siciliano, Sinead Cusack, D.W. Moffett, Rachel Weisz

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenwriter: Susan Minot
Story: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Composer: Richard Hartley

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Stealing Beauty

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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The grace, craft and real wit in this country house party make it his most seductive film in a very long while.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A welcome reminder of Bertolucci's directorial assurance.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jam! Movies
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/18/08
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Elaborately awful.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/07/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Auteur-slumming at The WB

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
07/12/04
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

The result is more tedious than insightful, and the film just meekly limps along, without any wit, passion or fire.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

You can keep Liv Tyler as an actress altogether as far as I'm concerned.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/08/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Stealing Beauty is a bad movie.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Liv Tyler is radiant, but the film itself suffers from the same self-indulgence that always hampers Bertolucci's work.

comment Comment
10/09/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
05/06/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Film Threat

While former model Tyler can work the camera, her performance is generally awkward.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

Somewhat erotic and warm, and pleasant to gaze at.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/19/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

[A] hilariously inscrutable exercise in pseudo-profundity.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/07/07
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Utterly boring.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
09/12/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

What do you call a character study with shallow, sketchily-drawn characters, but a gorgeous setting? A scenery study, perhaps. Or an atmosphere study.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

In my view, Bernardo Bertolucci is one of the world’s most overrated high profile filmmakers.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/12/02
Jamie Gillies
Jamie Gillies
Apollo Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
07/23/04
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
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