Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips) (1 Viewer)

[Edwin Pereyra]

Bread and Tulips swept the top awards at the 2000 David di Donatello (the equivalent of the Oscars) by winning in nine categories including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Screenplay.
Plot Synopsis: While on vacation with her family, a housewife (Licia Maglietta) was unexpectedly left by the tour bus after spending so much time at a rest stop. Her husband and children don’t even notice her being gone until it’s too late. She decides to head to Venice, Italy, a place she has never been before, instead of waiting for her family to come and pick her up. There she makes friends with a waiter who provides her with food and a place to stay. She also finds work at a local floral shop. Away from her family, she enjoys her newfound freedom away from her family while at the same time discovering her own self. Meanwhile, her husband hires a “detective” to track her down.
The film provides elements of both fantasy and reality along with some funny moments. Licia Maglietta gives a fine performance as the bored housewife who wants something else out of her current life. However, its nine Italian awards, which precede it, are sure to raise the expectations of some American audiences prior to even seeing it. That can be troublesome for both the movie and its audience as the film’s storylines breed familiarity from other American films and television situation comedies made prior to this one. I found Bread and Tulips to be nothing more than a harmless and entertaining light romantic comedy. Those who expecting more because its nine Italian awards may just be a little bit disappointed.
Bread and Tulips rates

(out of four) along the same lines as Francis Veber’s The Closet and Lasse Hallstrom’s Chocolat.
~Edwin
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[Mark Pfeiffer]

I found Bread and Tulips to be nothing more than a harmless and entertaining light romantic comedy.

I share the same opinion, but I liked it. I had no idea of its award pedigree (which, frankly, would have meant nothing to me anyway). It's a trifle but a likeable one. Better than Chocolat (yuck!) and not as good as The Closet.

 

[Allen Hirsch]

We tried to see this last weekend in Oakland, and it was surprisingly sold out. (Didn't think there were THAT many foreign/artsy movie-goers for something that had been out for awhile already, competing against new releases. We went home and spun up The Mummy for three friends who hadn't seen it before, instead.)
Edwin, your review was pretty much what I was expecting from Bread and Tulips - good entertainment, on the light side, perhaps.