She comes across the house where Juliet Capulet is said to have lived. People write letters about their love lives to 'Juliet' and leave them in a wall. When Sophie finds a 50-year-old letter from a woman called Claire, she decides to write back. This leads to her meeting Claire Smith (Vanessa Redgrave) and her grandson, Charlie Wyman (Chris Egan) who, despite his initial rudeness, she ends up falling for.
The film sets out to be a romantic one, but it fails to affect the heartstrings. The storyline is predictable and without suspense. The young leads' acting is stale and unconvincing. Redgrave, on the other hand, looks amazing and manages to make her role and situation credible. When her letter to Juliet is 'answered', we see one of the only genuinely touching moments in the whole film.
Ironically, the relationship that is most successfully portrayed is that of Sophie and Victor. They are in love at first, but they follow their own passions, which eventually separates them. Compared to the shallow, Hollywood-style bond between Sophie and Chris, it is far more believable and subtle.
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