Under The Tuscan Sun (12) - Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Rating: 3 out 5 stars.

Diane Lane stars as a recently-divorced writer who seeks out a new life amid the sun-kissed countryside of Tuscany in this American version of hit Brit flick Shirley Valentine.

Still nursing a broken heart at the sudden break-up of her marriage, Lane is initially like a fish out of water after buying a rambling old cottage on impulse.

But the somewhat eccentric locals gradually warm to her natural charm, and she in turn slowly comes out of her shell and rediscovers her love of life.

Lane confirms her standing as one of America's leading actresses with a perfectly-judged performance as a woman finding her feet in a foreign land.

Her character is distraught at the start of the film, and proceeds to run a whole gamut of emotions as she learns to regain her self-confidence, falls in love and discovers who and what are most important in her life.

Under The Tuscan Sun is helped, of course, by some stunning scenery that would brighten up even the dullest of films.

Like the locations, it's a gentle, rolling romantic drama that follows Lane's fortunes as they ebb and flow in much the same way as the Mediterranean Sea laps Italian beaches.

The locals are portrayed as credible characters, albeit with their own set of very distinctive idiosyncrasies, rather than the predictable cardboard cut-outs who usually tend to populate such films.

But it's the warmth and generosity of spirit of Lane's central character that really makes the film so watchable. It's a demanding role, as she is on screen from virtually the start to finish, but the actress pulls off a complex character with apparently effortless ease.

Out to rent or buy on video & DVD