susan granger’s review of ” bread and tulips ” ( first look pictures )
in this delightfully frothy italian romantic comedy , after accidentally being left behind by a tour bus while on a family vacation with her cranky husband and two cynical teenagers , rosalba ( licia maglietta ) , an unhappy housewife from pescara , finds herself – and love – in venice .
for the first time in years , rosalba’s on her own when she’s abandoned at a highway rest area .
although her philandering husband ( antonio catania ) , a plumbing-supply dealer , orders her to stay there until she’s picked up , she impulsively accepts a ride to venice , a bohemian paradise which she’s never visited .
rosalba finds refuge and romance with fernando ( bruno ganz ) , a gruff icelandic waiter who offers her a spare room in his modest apartment and prepares breakfast for her each morning .
to support herself , she gets a job working with a florist ( antonio catania ) .
film-maker silvio soldini gently explores the blossoming of this bored , middle-aged , middle-class woman with warmth and affection , savoring special moments such as when rosalba starts playing the accordion again and abandons her maroon stretch pants , silver jacket and orange sneakers for a simple , new red-and-white dress with platform-soled espadrilles .
the superb actors slip into their roles seamlessly , particularly luminous licia maglietta and low-key bruno ganz , along with marina massironi as her nosy massage-therapist neighbor and giuseppe massironi as the inept plumber-turned-private eye who’s sent to retrieve her on orders from her frantic husband – who’s discovered that his mistress has no interest in doing his laundry or cleaning the house .
on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , ” bread and tulips ” is a beguiling , escapist 8 .
as the summer ends , it’s a magical getaway for mature audiences . .