It annoys me that the title of the film is "PUCCINI for Beginners" and yet the music in the trailer I saw is a very famous aria by VERDI. Is it the case that for the majority of mainstream America all classical music is basically the same and substitable? Would it have killed them to use a piece by Puccini in the trailer?
shareYes, I noticed that too. La Donna e Mobile from Rigoletto. What were they thinking?
shareThat aria translates as "Women are fickle". Is that notion a theme in the movie? If so, the musical choice makes sense to me. I can't recall Puccini writing anything that dealt with fickleness.
I think you may be right Jim Bodge. I have only seen the trailer and due to either not paying enough attention or whatever, didn't really get a feel for what the film was about. After reading a synopsis, it makes more sense.
"New York writer and opera addict Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser) loves her girlfriend Samantha (Julianne Nicholson), but can’t commit. When Samantha leaves her, Allegra rebounds with handsome philosophy professor Phillip (Justin Kirk) as well as the irresistibly beautiful, recently single and recently straight Grace (Gretchen Mol). Allegra juggles secret relationships with both of them, never suspecting that Philip and Grace have a connection of their own. With a sophisticated blend of humor and irony,this screwball sex comedy twists and turns with all the drama of classic Puccini."
They're making more a connection to Allegra's inability to commit and opera in general, than Puccini in particular. Perhaps it should have been titled "Opera for Beginners."
Unlike other people in this thread I have seen the film, but not the trailer as the film has not been released in the UK (I saw it at a film festival in London). I saw the film just a few hours ago and I'm quite sure that neither "La donna e mobile" or indeed anything else by Verdi is featured in the film. The only extracts that I recall are from Turandot (Puccini) and Don Giovanni (Mozart). I would agree that the Verdi is very apposite, but the discription that Allegra gives of Turandot's plot of having to pass a test for the sake of love with dire consequences if you fail also fits the plot. On balance I think that the people behind the trailer have been superficially clever but would have been much better advised to have to have stuck to the Puccini which is actually in the film rather than a piece whose composer does not appear, especially as Turandot has some very well known music (particularly in the UK as "Nessun Dorma" was used as the theme for the soccer World Cup some years ago).
you're so right. There is so much music by Puccini. Any kind of love story, especially with "opera" as a title could have had all Puccini as its soundtrack.
shareHow about "Manon Lescaut?" Manon will go with anybody with money, even if her heart belongs to Des Grieux.
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does this movie contain opera scenes or scenes that can be linked to operas? if so, I'll watch it.
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