Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a fact checker for New Yorker magazine, although she longs to be a bonafide journalist. Her boss (Oliver Platt) knows she does a great job in her present position but has no clue concerning her writing aspirations. Lucky gal, she is also engaged to a very handsome chef (Gael Garcia Bernal) and they are about to embark on a journey to Verona, Italy. But, how genuine is her luck, really? Her fiancé rarely devotes his full attention to what she is saying or wishing, being utterly wrapped up in the new restaurant he is about to open. Even the trip abroad, a supposed "pre-honeymoon" gets sidetracked when future hubby only wants to go to wine auctions and such. No sightseeing, which is what Sophie is keen to do. Therefore, she lets her mate go off on his own, while she looks over Verona, especially the "Juliet Wall", where folks leave letters to Juliet for advice on love. Sophie discovers that a team of older ladies compose the return letters and they let her help, one day. It is then that Sophie finds a letter tucked behind a loose brick. What a find! As it turns out, it was written by a young lady named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) fifty years ago. She wanted to know if she should follow her heart and become attached to an Italian named Lorenzo (Franco Nero) or should she go home to England. Sadly, no one found the letter and Claire returned to Britain. Now, Sophie writes a reply to see what occurs. Ho, ho, ho! Claire and her grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan) are in Verona in a matter of a few days, with Charlie giving Sophie a tongue-lashing for upsetting his grandmother's life. Instant dislike reigns. But, given the fact that fiancé is still on the run, this new trio, Claire, Sophie and Charlie, begin a search through the surrounding countryside for Lorenzo. Will they find him? And, will Sophie and Charlie stop fighting long enough to gaze into each other's eyes? I say go see this beautifully made film soon. The cast is wonderful, with Seyfried and Egan making a talented and good-looking pair, and the lesser cast members doing nice work as well. Redgrave is very touching as the older lady looking backwards and Nero, well, not only is he charming, he still looks most handsome! The scenery, naturally, is dazzling and so are the costumes and cinematography. The script has some originality, as well as predictable events, and the direction, though slow at times, seems secure. In short, let yourself off the hook from more mundane tasks and trot off to the cinema for this little gem, romance fans.

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a fact checker for the New Yorker. She goes to Verona for a pre-honeymoon with her future husband Victor (Gael García Bernal). He's an obsessive chef, and she wants to be a writer. As he falls in love with the local food scene, she gets tired of it and finds the "Secretaries of Juliet" who answer the love notes left at the fictional Juliet's courtyard. Then one day, she finds an old note left unnoticed for 50 years inside the wall of the courtyard.

I love both Amanda and Gael as actors. The movie is a little too cute with their relationship for its own good. Their problems shouldn't be so passive. Then Vanessa Redgrave comes in for the second half to sweep everybody off their feet. Christopher Egan is the English cold fish son. Maybe he's too good at playing the cold fish. They look like a magazine photo shoot couple without the chemistry. Gael and Christopher may be better off switching roles. Christopher just doesn't have the heat that Gael has.

Fifty years ago, a young British girl left her Italian boyfriend out of her own fears, and thanks to the curiosity of a young New Yorker visiting Italy, she gets the chance to resolve her past. This brings the young girl together with the older woman's grandson to face a similar crisis as the three search for the older Italian man.

This romantic vintage is like a fine wine, with its two older stars (Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero) as star-crossed as they were in "Camelot". When Redgrave's grandson (Christopher Egan) meets the young American (Amanda Seyfreid),negative sparks fly because of Seyfreid's answering the 50 year old letter Redgrave left in a Verona wall to be answered by the secretaries of the non-existent Juliet, a metaphor of Shakespeare's ill-fated heroine. Seyfreid is engaged to handsome Italian American Gael García Bernal, but the fire has died. Of course, Redgrave sees this, and slyly moves her grandson and Seyfreid to be together.

There is no shortage of praise to be showered on Vanessa Redgrave who is still lovely and filled with life. She delivers a performance so sensitive and loving that no words of amazement can describe. In her is the message that it is never too late to seek one's dreams. They are never lost, just frozen in the present, ready to defrost at any minute. You will need a box of Kleenex for her reunion with Nero, which happens after some very false meetings with people who have the same name.

Seyfreid is excellent in a performance that could have been rather annoying. When Egan lambasts her for using the phrases "Oh My God" and "Awesome" in the same sentence, I found myself yelling out to my TV, "At least she didn't screech it!". How many young actors can deliver a performance that doesn't grate on the nerves when exuberance doesn't overtake them? Egan is at first pompous and slightly cold but warms up as his grandmother's mission comes to light.

This is a film that is rarely made today, a love story so satisfying where the older characters are more than "cute" and the younger ones are filled with such promise. Add on beautiful Italian scenery and just a feel-good story, and you've got a satisfying movie that, like an Italian meal made from scratch, won't leave you hungry. Be sure to watch the credits for the listing of all the Lorenzo's (Nero's character's name) that appear during the trio's journey.