RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Stealing Beauty (1996)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
51 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:47

Fresh:24

Rotten:23

Average Rating:5.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: When 19-year-old Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) arrives in Tuscany, wondering about her mother (a recent suicide) and still nursing a crush on Niccolo, the local playboy she met on a visit four years... When 19-year-old Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) arrives in Tuscany, wondering about her mother (a recent suicide) and still nursing a crush on Niccolo, the local playboy she met on a visit four years earlier, everyone sits up and takes notice--especially director Bernardo Bertolucci, who trains his camera on the ingenue with understandable enthusiasm. The Graysons, who own the artists' colony and villa where Lucy's mother once wrote poetry, take the young girl in, and their guests enjoy the infusion of youth. Perhaps most deeply affected is Alex Parrish (Jeremy Irons), a terminally ill writer who finds Lucy charming and vital. Before such attentions, Lucy's interest in Niccolo (who turns out to be a jerk) quickly fades, replaced by an unexpected mystery regarding the identity of her father and a possible new love. And in a further attempt to understand her mother, Lucy writes light little poems as well. (Bertolucci has her words appear on the screen as she scribbles.) In fact, everything seems light in lush and lovely in Tuscany, which provides a gorgeous setting for the gifted ensemble to play out their intrigues. [More]

Starring: Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Donal McCann, Stefania Sandrelli

Starring: Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Donal McCann, Stefania Sandrelli, Jean Marais, Francesco Siciliano, Sinead Cusack, D.W. Moffett, Rachel Weisz

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenwriter: Susan Minot
Story: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Composer: Richard Hartley

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Jan 8, 2002

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Stealing Beauty

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

I find it to be one of his most sublime achievements, filled with a sunny laziness and slow awakening.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

A welcome reminder of Bertolucci's directorial assurance.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Utterly boring.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
09/12/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

What do you call a character study with shallow, sketchily-drawn characters, but a gorgeous setting? A scenery study, perhaps. Or an atmosphere study.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An intriguing, good-looking movie, and character-driven in the best sense. But truly, it's fanciful.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Stealing Beauty demonstrates that director Bernardo Bertolucci is as adept at intimate drama as he is with epic productions.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
01/15/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Auteur-slumming at The WB

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
07/12/04
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

The script is in keeping with the fabric of the film. It's languid and meanders about a bit, but, coupled with the lush and inviting Tuscany countryside, this is not a bad thing at all.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

The movie plays like the kind of line a rich older guy would lay on a teenage model, suppressing his own intelligence and irony in order to spread out before her the wonderful world he would like to give her as a gift.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

While former model Tyler can work the camera, her performance is generally awkward.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

In my view, Bernardo Bertolucci is one of the world’s most overrated high profile filmmakers.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/12/02
Jamie Gillies
Jamie Gillies
Apollo Guide

The result is more tedious than insightful, and the film just meekly limps along, without any wit, passion or fire.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

It may not be epic in scale; in artistic terms, though, it's huge.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Bertolucci] builds an homage to beauty around a sullen void.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

For all the film's missteps, there is cause to echo the uncritical compliment bestowed by the playwright (Jeremy Irons) upon the film's ingenue (Liv Tyler): 'I so enjoyed watching you.'

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even a lesser Bertolucci is an event, and Stealing Beauty has its charms.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/14/01
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You can keep Liv Tyler as an actress altogether as far as I'm concerned.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/08/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Stealing Beauty is a bad movie.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Vale la pena completamente...

Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
01/11/04
Alex Ramirez
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos

This is a film of false starts, dead ends and pointless distractions which pays too little attention to what should be its central premise.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
66% 66% Public Enemies
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
75% 75% Julie & Julia
32% 32% Terminator Salvation

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
90% 90% District 9
86% 86% 500 Days of Summer
63% 63% Extract
06% 06% All About Steve
78% 78% It Might Get Loud

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

New clips from the detective reboot!

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2

Watch the brand new trailer now!

Awards Tour

Awards Tour

Keep up with latest nominations and awards!

RT on DVD & Blu-Ray

RT on DVD & Blu-Ray

District 9 & 500 Days of Summer

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
13
  • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
16
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
61
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
311
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Soars to #1 Spot
254
  • Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009
111
  • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
90
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
51
  • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
44
  • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
43
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
26
  • Friday Harvest: Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, and more!
14
  • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Disney!
7
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
51
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Stealing Beauty at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
MSN's Year in Review
MSN's Year in Review External Link

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

Moviefone's Year End Poll
Moviefone's Year End Poll External Link

What were your favorites? Least favorites? The funniest and scariest? Moviefone wants to know!

Tarantino's Characters
Tarantino's Characters External Link

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.