Jun 12th      
Tea with Mussolini**                
(GB/Ita 1999)
Universal/G2/Cattleya Cinecento/Medusa Film. 112m.

In 1930s Florence, a boy looked after by his English nanny later helps her and her expatriate friends when the war  clouds darken.
Zeffirelli's childhood memoir: as expected fairly rose-tinted in some of its history and characters, but warmly nostalgic, although a little uneven, not always allowing his excellent all-star cast the chance to shine.

Written by: John Mortimer, Franco Zeffirelli.
Producers: Clive Parsons, Riccardo Tozzi, Giovanella Zannani, Frederick Muller, Marco Chimenz, Pippo Pisciotto.
Director: Franco Zeffirelli.
Starring (in no particular order): Cher, Baird Wallace, Charlie Lucas, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Lily Tomlin, Michael Williams, Massimo Ghini, Claudio Spadaro (as Mussolini), Paul Chequer, Paolo Seganti.
Photography: David Watkin.
Music: Stefano Arnaldi, Alessio Vlad.