Movies usually age like milk. Especially the rom-coms of the late 2000s and early 2010s. You watch them back and cringe at the fashion, the lack of boundaries, or the weirdly aggressive "meet-cutes." But then there’s the Letters to Juliet film. It’s a weird outlier. Released in 2010, it didn't exactly break the box office or reinvent cinema, but it’s grown this massive, cult-like staying power. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a perfect bowl of pasta in a sun-drenched courtyard. Honestly, if you haven’t seen it in a decade, you’ve probably forgotten how much it leans into the actual, real-life mystery of the "Secretaries of Juliet" in Verona.
It’s not just a movie about a girl finding a letter in a wall. It’s actually based on a non-fiction book by Ceil Friedman and Lise Friedman. That’s the part people miss.
The story follows Sophie—played by Amanda Seyfried back when she was the undisputed queen of the wide-eyed ingenue role—who travels to Italy with her fiancé, Victor. Victor is played by Gael García Bernal, and he is essentially the human personification of a distraction. He’s a chef obsessed with truffles and wine auctions, leaving Sophie to wander Verona alone. She finds the Casa di Giulietta. She sees the wall. She sees the thousands of letters left by the heartbroken. And then, she sees a woman collect them in a basket.
The Reality Behind the Letters to Juliet Film
Most people think the "Secretaries of Juliet" were made up for the script. They weren't. The Club di Giulietta is a very real organization in Verona. Since the 1930s, people have been writing to Shakespeare’s heroine. It started with Ettore Solimani, the guardian of Juliet’s tomb, who began replying to the notes left by visitors. Today, a dedicated team of volunteers actually sits in an office and answers thousands of letters from all over the globe.
In the Letters to Juliet film, Sophie finds a letter from 1957 hidden behind a loose brick. It was written by Claire Smith (the legendary Vanessa Redgrave), who was looking for her lost love, Lorenzo Bartolini. Sophie writes back. Claire shows up. And then the road trip begins.
It’s a simple premise. But the execution is what makes it stick. The film doesn't treat Claire’s 50-year-old heartbreak as a joke or a "cute" subplot. It treats it with a level of gravity that’s rare for a PG movie. Vanessa Redgrave brings a weight to the screen that makes you forget you're watching a fluffy summer flick. When she finally sees the different Lorenzos they track down—the one who's a drunk, the one who's dead, the one who's just... wrong—you feel the crushing weight of reality. It’s not all sunshine and sunflowers.
Why the Cinematography Matters
Gary Winick, the director, did something smart here. He let the scenery do the heavy lifting. The movie was shot on location in Verona and across Tuscany, specifically around the Borgo Scopeto Relais.
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There’s this specific golden hour glow that permeates the whole second act. It makes the audience want to quit their jobs, buy a Vespa, and move to a vineyard. It’s aspirational travel porn at its finest. But it’s also functional. The warmth of the Italian landscape contrasts sharply with the cold, frantic energy of New York City shown at the start.
The pacing is also... weirdly leisurely? In a good way. Modern movies feel like they’re edited by someone with a caffeine addiction. They cut every two seconds. The Letters to Juliet film lets scenes breathe. You get long shots of the countryside. You get quiet moments where Christopher Egan (playing Claire’s grandson, Charlie) and Amanda Seyfried just argue about the ethics of destiny versus choice.
Addressing the "Victor Problem"
Everyone hates Victor. That’s a common takeaway. But if you look at the film through a more mature lens, Victor isn't a "bad guy." He’s just a guy with a different passion. He’s opening a restaurant. He’s excited. He treats the trip as a business scout.
The real conflict in the Letters to Juliet film isn't that Sophie’s fiancé is a jerk; it’s that they are fundamentally incompatible. He loves the taste of Italy; she loves the story of Italy. That’s a nuance most rom-coms skip in favor of making the "first boyfriend" a cheating scumbag. Here, it’s just a sad realization that sometimes two good people don’t belong together.
And let’s talk about Charlie. Charlie is prickly. He’s cynical. He’s protective of his grandmother. His chemistry with Sophie works because it starts from a place of genuine annoyance. He thinks she’s a meddler. She thinks he’s a snob. It’s the classic "enemies to lovers" trope, but it feels earned because they spend days in a cramped car together.
The Most Iconic Scene You Forgot
There’s a moment toward the end where Claire finally finds the right Lorenzo. He’s riding a horse. It’s incredibly cheesy. If any other actress did it, it would be unwatchable.
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But Vanessa Redgrave? She sells it with a single look.
The man playing Lorenzo, Franco Nero, is actually Redgrave’s real-life husband. They met on the set of Camelot in 1967, separated for years, and eventually reunited and married in 2006. When they look at each other in the movie, that’s not "acting" in the traditional sense. It’s decades of history. It’s meta-storytelling that adds a layer of authenticity you can't fake. That’s why that scene hits so hard. It’s a real-life second chance playing out on screen.
Critical Reception vs. Longevity
When it came out, critics were "meh" on it. It has a 42% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics called it predictable and sugary. They weren't entirely wrong, but they missed the point.
The Letters to Juliet film isn't trying to be The Godfather. It’s trying to be a comfort watch. It’s a movie for people who believe in the power of the written word. In an era of DMs and "u up?" texts, there’s something profoundly romantic about a physical letter that survives fifty years in a stone wall.
It’s also surprisingly feminist for its time. Sophie doesn't just want a boyfriend; she wants to be a writer. She’s a fact-checker at The New Yorker who is desperate to tell her own stories. The trip to Italy is her professional awakening as much as it is a romantic one. By the time the credits roll, she’s found her voice.
Practical Insights for the Modern Viewer
If you’re planning to revisit the film or use it as a travel guide, here are a few things to keep in mind.
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First, the actual "Juliet’s balcony" in Verona is a bit of a tourist trap. It was added to a 13th-century building in the 1930s to attract visitors. If you go there expecting the quiet, soulful atmosphere of the movie, you’ll be disappointed by the crowds. However, the Club di Giulietta is very much open to the public, and you can actually apply to be a volunteer secretary if you have the right language skills.
Second, if you’re looking for the filming locations, head to Siena. Most of the "Verona" countryside shots were actually filmed in the Province of Siena. The Caparzo vineyard is a real place you can visit. It’s gorgeous.
Third, pay attention to the soundtrack. It’s a masterclass in mood-setting. From Colbie Caillat’s "You Got Me" to the Italian pop songs, the music bridges the gap between the modern American girl and the timeless Italian setting.
Why We Still Care
The world is loud right now. Movies are loud. The Letters to Juliet film is quiet. It’s about the "what ifs" that haunt us. Everyone has a Lorenzo Bartolini in their past—someone they wonder about when they can't sleep. The movie offers the ultimate catharsis: the idea that it’s never too late to go back and check.
It reminds us that being a "fact-checker" in life is boring, but being a storyteller is where the magic happens. Sophie stopped checking other people’s facts and started creating her own reality.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Read the Source Material: If you love the concept, track down Letters to Juliet by Ceil and Lise Friedman. It documents the real letters sent to Verona and the history of the volunteers.
- Write a Physical Letter: There is a proven psychological benefit to "expressive writing." Even if you don't send it to Italy, write down your own "what if" to clear your head.
- Visit the Club di Giulietta Website: You can actually read archives of real letters and see how the tradition continues in the digital age. They even have a "Dear Juliet" app now, though the paper letters are still the heart of the operation.
- Re-watch with the "Nero/Redgrave" Context: Watch the final act again knowing the two actors are actually married. It changes the entire emotional frequency of the ending.
The movie isn't just a romance. It's a reminder that the things we hide in our "walls"—our secrets, our regrets, our old loves—don't have to stay there forever. You can always take a hammer to the brick.