Promising med student Thandie Newton (BELOVED, who is still not afraid to pee and slobber on camera) cleans Italian villa of eccentric English piano teacher (David Thewlis, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) after fleeing dictatorial takeover in her native Africa, her school teacher husband imprisoned. After a series of awkward encounters, the two warm to each other, their musics blend, and expensive objects are sold for a reason. Selections by Mozart, Scriabin, Bach, and a fascinating J.C. Ojwang, who functions as an agitating one-man chorus during the first half. Those who came to this for Bertolucci because of a vague memory of LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1973) and for Newton because she is black will get to see fine acting, great camera work and scenery, real Africans, the streets of Rome, and to hear excellent piano playing by Stefano Arnaldi, and, hopefully, not be disappointed that they weren't force-fed any scenes with chickens or homies gettin' shot up in the 'hood to a gangsta rap soundtrack.
