Christina Applegate, who plays Kelly Bundy in the hit TV show "Married With Children," is the star of this wacky comedy about a group of kids trying to cope with a very weird situation.While mom takes off for a trip to Australia with her boyfriend, the kids are left in the care of the elderly babysitter from hell. Then things go from bad to worse: the old lady dies, leaving them without a cent to their name. Teenager Sue Ellen, the oldest sibling, realizes that they'd better do something fast if they want to eat. Because one thing's for sure: no one wants to let mom know that the babysitter's dead...

I will agree though with the glowing reviews for the movie is splendid in tugging at the heartstrings and most magnificent with its display of Venice, the city.

If one does research before seeing this movie then I suggest they not bother watching the film and perhaps study a textbook instead. Movies are for enjoying visually and possibly emotionally. They aren't history lessons. I knew only little going into this movie many years ago when I first saw it, I knew it was based on a true story. I didn't care how accurate that story was with the facts, I wanted to see if it could accomplish the feat of entertaining me and not prompting me to walk out of the theatre. Not even close did it come to injecting those latter feelings. I was awestruck. Why?

Beauty. Plain and simple. In the portrayals of the characters by the more then capable actors, to the way that Veronica jousted with the men with her words-something that very few women back in that day were able to do, and quite many never even entertained the thought of doing. To the emotion that flowed effortlessly. For the reason that it tangles you up into a world that you were never a part of and may never be a part of.

So as soon as I could I purchased the DVD, and these are some of my comments below as to why I love it so-

The Actress:
The actress playing Veronica,Catherine McCormick was a delight to watch, not only for her intelligence, but also for the quiet heartbreak that she was displaying. What this film did is portray how one suffers but continues on in silence, trying to show a different face to the rest of the world. Women of early Europe did not have much of a choice when it came to survival, and knowledge was near forbidden. That would make them equal to men and that was punishable for a price. Veronica had a choice, as she was neither poor(though close to it) and she was neither rich...she could marry,if there was someone to marry her as her family no longer had a dowry to provide, so she could marry someone in her class who may not be able to provide for her- or she could become a Courtesan, where at least her intelligence and hunger to learn was allowed to be fed.

The Actor:
I fell in love with Rufus Sewell after watching this movie. He may not be what would be considered a "hunk"(ohh how I hate this word) but he resembles what men back then just may have looked like and how they carried themselves. His character is stoic, quite often burning with rage and love and instead of being able to display the emotions, he goes forth in wonder questioning his position without giving too much away as to why. And when he does get to love Veronica, it's fiercely. He understands why she does what she does, he lets her continue on her path, when most men would have tried to own her. For on this path of hers, he knows they will meet up time to time.

The Controversy???

The movie is a love story, yes. I question those who refer to it as soft porn and are disturbed by the sexuality and the nudity within the film. Surely upon seeing what this film is about they would not be surprised at seeing such. Nudity is nothing to be ashamed of, as neither is what men and women do with another. I see nothing about the movie that would make it soft porn. I see something called "art". I do suggest however, that these same people should avoid French Films at all costs.

I could go on with what it was I loved about the film. There is one part of this film that stands out and grabs attention though, and that is:

The Artistic Design. The Photography. The Lighting. The Costumes. The movie itself, plot and actors aside, was a cinematic wonder. The background set the tone for the rest of the movie, and one would have to have a steel heart not to love and appreciate it.

But this movie is under 2 hours and managed to take a very complicated topic in Leveraged Buy-Outs (LBO's) in one of the biggest LBO's of our time in RJR-Nabisco and manages to make the story very entertaining. It flows quickly and I had no trouble following what's going on.