Stealing Beauty (1996)

Lucy, an American teenager arriving in the lush Tuscan countryside to visit her mother’s friends, Diana and her husband, Irish artist Ian residing there. She visited there four years earlier and exchanged a kiss with a handsome boy, Niccoló with whom she hopes to become reacquainted. Her mother, poet Sara has committed suicide since then, and she also hopes to discover the identity of her father, whom her mother hinted was a resident of the villa. Once she arrives, she meets a variety of eccentric visitors, including a dying gay playwright Alex, M. Guillaume, an old deranged New York art gallery owner, Diana’s daughter from a previous marriage, jewelry designer Miranda, her boyfriend, an entertainment lawyer Richard, Noemi, a column writer and several others. Lucy has decided to lose her virginity and becomes an object of intense interest to the men of the household, but the suitor she finally selects is not the initial object of her affection. Stealing Beauty boasted an intriguing .Instead of becoming interested in Lucy, the only scenes I found enjoyable involved Miranda and her dim-witted “boyfriend”. Richard made me laugh so much that I nearly forgave the pointless plot. And I would’ve been very disappointed were it not for Jeremy Irons and his wonderful character of Alex. Alex’s musing, thoughts and expressions made me smile and made me think. (” ‘The incredible frivolity of the dying’ You have to allow me a little frivolity”)