Tea with Mussolini

Tea with Mussolini is a mildly entertaining comedy-drama about a group of somewhat naive and mildly eccentric middle-aged English ladies who have settled in Florence, where they enjoy the mild climate and the many cultural treasures.

The story begins in the early 1930s, when all is still peace and harmony under the nascent fascism. One of the colony's leading ladies, Lady Hester Random, widow of the British ambassador, is immensely proud to be invited to tea with Mussolini, and when the English are harassed and later interned, she finds it very hard to accept that the poisoned political climate has turned the once so peaceful coexistence between foreigners and Italians upside down.

Another of the personalities is the American Elsa, who has made a living out of marrying fabulously rich old men. Her laissez-faire lifestyle threatens to cost her her life, however, as she is of Jewish descent. Only by fleeing can she save her skin.

The film is loosely based on the director's own memories of his childhood. His alter ego is the orphaned Italian boy Luca, whom the English ladies, led by the resolute Mary Wallace, take under their wing, but none of the extensive cast of characters is really at the centre of the somewhat rambling plot. Even when Italy and England are at war, Luca remains loyal to his "mothers" and does his bit to help them through the hard times.