Rent The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (2003)

Vague and rambling - The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone review by RD

Helen Stone flies to Rome with her husband. He gets ill on the plane. No details of outcome of illness until we see Helen tipping the ashes out in the Coliseum. She has several gigolos provided by a scheming Contessa and appears to suspect she is being taken for her money but shows very little. One particular gigolo appears to be in love with her, although this is all very ambiguous. Both appear to be going along with the situation.

Helen is followed occasionally by a young tramp.

Lots of arguments between the main characters fill the dialogue throughout the film, however they were mainly empty shouting arguments, with nothing of any substance or advancement to them.

I haven't read any of Tennessee Williams books, but they must have a lot more substance in them to warrant his reputation as a writer.

This film is empty, without any active thread to the storyline and quite stale throughout. The acting appears very wooden and stilted, even from the great Ms Mirren, due possibly to the overpowering dullness of the script.

The woman, the gigolos and the madame. - The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone review by CSF

I loved everything in this film: thewriter, the director, the actresses BUT not the story. I mean the way the story was told. I find Tennessee Williams better for reading because his words are more effective than the pictures. Usually there is something very poisonnous in the heart of the play like in Suddenly Last Summer. Here, this kind of poisonnous atmosphere is brought up by the tramp who is a playboy and a homeless but too much is left to the imagination of the spectators. Also I noticed that T. Williams and Henry James tend to picture Europeens like depraved people of the old world with its very dusty values and the Americans kind and naïve.