Enchanted April (1992)

Enchanted April (1992), directed by Mike Newell.

Having had enough of a cold, rainy London winter in the grim years just after WW1, four women bust loose and rent an Italian villa for a month. It is a bit of paradise. Cue the magic chamber music and "It's odd how one's mind slips sideways in a place like this..."

This belongs on a small shelf labeled "Cure for the Winter Blues". Those with seasonal affective disorder need to see repressed English people letting go in Mediterranean climates. Sun, water, good food, a chance at love: it restores the soul. A Room with a View (1985) is another example.

It's really finely done; I'm always amazed how much I have enjoyed it, and I don't even have that much SAD.

The women:

The men:

Happy ending for all!

My thumbnails are from a PAL DVD. The original North American disc was cropped or non-anamorphic; there is a newer edition I haven't seen which may fix that.

http://watershade.net/public/enchanted-april.jpg