TEA WITH MUSSOLINI (DVD/ST&WS/FR-SUB) DVD

Tea With Mussolini
Based in part on his autobiography, director Franco Zeffirelli's Tea With Mussolini is a drama with comic accents about a group of British and American travelers on an indefinite visit to Italy in 1935, when, as one character puts it, "Mussolini was just a man who made the trains run on time." Luca (played by Charlie Lucas) is a boy living in Florence whose family situation is precarious at best; his mother has died and his father has little time for him. Fortunately, he's a welcome guest with Mary (Joan Plowright), a English woman visiting Italy to soak up European culture. Mary and her friends -- high-toned Lady Hester (Maggie Smith), pretentious Arabella (Judi Dench), American art collector Elsa (Cher) and cheerful lesbian Georgie (Lily Tomlin) -- enjoy the cultured, creative atmosphere of life in Italy, and their initial response to the rise of fascism is to arrange a polite meeting with Mussolini to make sure he and his soldiers mean well. After some time, Luca's father becomes concerned that the boy is soaking up too much British influence and enrolls him in a boarding school in Austria; by the time 1940 rolls around, situations have changed radically for everyone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Cher as Elsa Judi Dench as Arabella Joan Plowright as Mary Maggie Smith as Hester Lily Tomlin as Georgie Baird Wallace as Luca (teenager) Charlie Lucas as Luca (child) Massimo Ghini as Paolo Paolo Seganti as Vittorio Paul Checquer as Wilfred Tessa Pritchard as Connie Mino Bellei as Cesare Claudio Spadaro as Mussolini

Crew Gioia Fiorella Mariani - Art Director Carlo Centolavigna - Art Director Pippo Pisciotto - Associate Producer Tony Biell - Boom Operator Emma Style - Casting Mirta Guarnaschelli - Casting Ermanno Daelli - Costume Designer Jenny Beavan - Costume Designer Alberto Spiazzi - Costume Designer Anna Anni - Costume Designer Roberto Tatti - First Assistant Director Pippo Pisciotto - First Assistant Director L. Justin Muller - First Assistant Director Franco Zeffirelli - Director Daniele Nannuzzi - Second Unit Director Tariq Anwar - Editor Vivian McAteer - Hair Styles Gina Gherardi - Location Manager Deborah Gherardi - Location Manager Alessio Vlad - Composer (Music Score) Stefano Arnaldi - Composer (Music Score) Leonard Engelman - Makeup Mark Moriarty - Camera Operator David Watkin - Cinematographer Alessandro Loy - Production Manager Clive Parsons - Producer Giovannella Zannoni - Producer Riccardo Tozzi - Producer Brian Simmons - Sound/Sound Designer Giovanni Corridori - Special Effects Supervisor Marco Olivieri - Unit Production Manager Flavio Tallone - Unit Production Manager Rizia Ortolani - Unit Production Manager Raffaele Veneruso - Unit Production Manager Franco Zeffirelli - Screenwriter John Mortimer - Screenwriter Gilles Cannatella - Production Assistant Mark Auguste - Sound Effects Editor Steve Schwalbe - Sound Effects Editor Marco Billeri - Animal Trainer/Wrangler Pasquale Martino - Animal Trainer/Wrangler Eugene Rizzo - Unit Publicist Robert Booth - Dialogue Coach Sally Grace - Dialogue Coach Mark Thompson-Ashworth - Dialogue Coach Francesco Brioni - First Assistant Camera Paola Barbaglia - First Assistant Camera Mario Massaccesi - Gaffer Franco Micheli - Grip Mauro Mimino - Grip Elio Bosi - Key Grip Claudio Messina - Music Producer Alistair Hopkins - Post Production Supervisor Sara Rossi - Production Coordinator Pino Butti - Production Supervisor Craig Irving - Re-Recording Mixer Gerry Humphreys - Re-Recording Mixer Dean Humphreys - Re-Recording Mixer Angela Allen - Script Supervisor Filippo Fassetta - Second Assistant Director Luciano Bacchelli - Second Assistant Director Luigi Spoletini - Second Assistant Director Philippe Antonello - Still Photographer Mike Wood - Supervising Sound Editor Colin Ritchie - ADR Editor John Bateman - ADR Mixer Carlo De Marino - Assistant Art Director Alessandro Lai - Assistant Costumer Designer Lamberto Deli - Assistant Hair Albert Guiliani - Assistant Hair Desideria Corridoni - Assistant Hair Giuseppe Desiato - Assistant Makeup Francesco Nardi - Assistant Makeup Gaia Banchelli - Assistant Makeup Sam Auguste - Assistant Sound Editor Johannes Kovecny - Assistant Sound Editor Piero Risani - Costumes Assistant Claudette Lilly - Costumes Assistant Daria Gianassini - Costumes Assistant Elsa Masseroni - Costumes Assistant Anna Orazi - Costumes Assistant Antonio D'Arienzo - Electrician Massimiliano Sticchi - Electrician Fabio Cafolla - Electrician Nicola Terlizzi - Electrician Claudio Terlizzi - Electrician Giuseppe Fabrizi - Electrician Riccardo Bertoni - Extra Casting Liberata Zocchi - First Assistant Editor Mark Harris - First Assistant Editor Richard Fettes - Foley Editor Franco Corridoni - Key Make-up John Sargent - Post Production Accountant Luciano Tartaglia - Production Accountant Roberto Canaro - Production Accountant Val Sunderland - Production Accountant Stefano Priori - Production Controller Lucy Smith - Second Assistant Editor Ettore Guerrieri - Set Dresser Roberto Leone - Transportation Coordinator Louis Elman - ADR Voice Casting Daniele D'Offizi - Focus Puller Clive Prior - Focus Puller Stefano Sciarra - Runner Janice Mordue - Title Design

Tea With Mussolini
This lush, frothy coming-of-age story provides its cast full of British and American grande dames with plenty of beautiful locations and gently comic, slightly cloak-and-dagger scenarios in which to strut their famous personae and acting chops. Cher makes her most enjoyable screen outing in a decade as Elsa, a larger-than-life diva with more affection for her art collection than her many husbands. Lily Tomlin plays another fun, self-mocking lesbian role, while Judi Dench and Maggie Smith work their respective regal and ridiculous schticks to amusing effect. Writer/director Franco Zeffirelli seems to view his war-ravaged childhood through vaguely rose-tinted glasses; the title is meant to be a gentle jab at the proper biddies whose faith in the moral might of the British Empire blinded them to the danger creeping through Europe, but there's a sense here that fascism is simply a backdrop to Auntie Mame-style shenanigans. Although co-writer John Mortimer worked on the screenplay to subtle psycho-horror classic The Innocents, his work here is closer to the hamminess of the Otto Preminger oddity Bunny Lake Is Missing. Still, cinematographer David Watkin and the art team buff the visuals into a gorgeous Merchant-Ivory finish, and the charismatic performances will please fans of low-calorie, vaguely historical treats. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
 

Alberto Spiazzi: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Costume Design (nominated) Anna Anni: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Costume Design (nominated) Jenny Beavan: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Costume Design (nominated) Maggie Smith: British Academy of Film and Television, Best Supporting Actress (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: 5.1: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects 2: PCM stereo Additional Features: Colllectible "Making Of" booklet Original theatrical trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 117 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- WIDESCREEN 0. Scene Selections 1. Logos/ Title/ Credits [3:16] 2. "True English Lady" [1:56] 3. Irresponsible Father [3:25] 4. Sorrow & Refuge [3:21] 5. Artistic Walk [2:35] 6. Wicked Versus Good [4:39] 7. "Vulgar" Americans! [5:54] 8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes [2:36] 9. Celebration/ "Shindig" [3:00] 10. "Romeo & Juliet" [2:29] 11. "A World Gone Mad" [1:28] 12. "Tea With Mussolini" [4:49] 13. To Austria/ 1936-1940 [5:20] 14. Grown-Up Luca [4:24] 15. "Beauty & Brains" [2:04] 16. "Taken Into Custody" [5:19] 17. "Goodnight, Ladies!" [4:15] 18. A Welcome Visitor [1:43] 19. "Get Out-Fast" [1:43] 20. "Study The Classics" [2:29] 21. Good Deeds/ High Tea [5:31] 22. Lover/ Messenger Boy [4:53] 23. "Enemy Aliens" Unite [4:07] 24. Dancing Cares Away [4:56] 25. "Trust Me!" [2:21] 26. "I'm A Man!" [2:45] 27. Saving Art & Elsa [4:20] 28. The Truth Comes Out [4:05] 29. Unforgettable Elsa [4:57] 30. Risking Life For Art [4:44] 31. Victory At Last! [2:56] 32. After War/ Credits [4:24] Side #2 -- STANDARD 0. Scene Selections 1. Logos/ Title/ Credits [:11] 2. "True English Lady" [3:16] 3. Irresponsible Father [1:56] 4. Sorrow & Refuge [3:25] 5. Artistic Walk [3:21] 6. Wicked Versus Good [2:35] 7. "Vulgar" American's! [4:39] 8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes [5:54] 9. Celebration/ "Shindig" [2:36] 10. "Romeo & Juliet" [3:00] 11. "A World Gone Mad" [2:29] 12. "Tea With Mussolini" [1:28] 13. To Austria/ 1936-1940 [4:49] 14. Grown-Up Luca [5:20] 15. "Beauty & Brains" [4:24] 16. "Taken Into Custody" [2:04] 17. "Goodnight, Ladies!" [5:19] 18. A Welcome Visitor [4:16] 19. "Get Out-Fast" [1:43] 20. "Study The Classics" [1:42] 21. Good Deeds/ High Tea [2:29] 22. Lover/ Messenger Boy [5:30] 23. "Enemy Aliens" Unite [4:53] 24. Dancing Cares Away [4:07] 25. "Trust Me!" [4:56] 26. "I'm A Man!" [2:21] 27. Saving Art & Elsa [2:44] 28. The Truth Comes Out [4:20] 29. Unforgettable Elsa [4:06] 30. Risking Life For Art [4:57] 31. Victory At Last! [4:44] 32. After War/ Credits [2:56]