While Four Last Songs wasn't able to completely tip the scales, achieving only a DVD release in the United States, the romantic comedy drama certainly represents a very pleasant and relatively affecting look at life, love, family and death, all amidst the gorgeous setting of a Mediterranean vacation spot.

Stanley Tucci (or l'il Kingsley as I like to think of him) plays Larry, a hapless pianist making a lovely but unsatisfying living playing for vacationers at a quirky villa on a Spanish Island. His dream of achieving meaning revolves around staging a concert of newly discovered songs by the island's late, famous composer. Securing those musical manuscripts from the composer's mistress, and blessings from the composer's widow, proves difficult.

Further complicating matters are a jealous wife, the harried hotel owner and his drunkard brother, and a recently discovered daughter - not to mention the lothario, a world-renowned concert pianist named Narcisso, who is scheduled to play the songs, should they materialize.

Writer/ director Francesca Joseph knows just what she's doing, assuring that what could be just another handful of clichéd elements gels into a (relatively) believable, fun and ultimately touching story. Tucci is almost perfect as the artistic temperament, wearing green cotton shirts to blend in with the lush scenery. His combination of subliminal native intelligence and puppy dog eyes play well as traits of a well-meaning but ultimately self-obsessed guy.

Meanwhile, a number of engaging subplots are kept boiling through the fine talents of Rhys Ifans, (the perpetual goofy ruffian) Jena Malone and Hugh Bonneville among others. With beautiful cinematography and a gorgeous score that references Richard Strauss's lush compositions, Four Last Songs is by no means groundbreaking. But the ground it treads - a vacation wonderland that asks one to contemplate one's attachment to life and love - doesn't need breaking, it just needs to let you have a good time.

The DVD

Video:
You can't go wrong filming on the Island of Mallorca, and it shows in Four Last Songs, the scenery is absolutely beautiful and colors reflect it, from the dense greenery to the azure sea, the movie is a pleasure to look at. Many scenes take place at night on a candlelit patio, and the deep, dark night sky is dense and enchanting. The film is presented in a 1.78:1 ratio, enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs.

Sound: Dolby 5.1 or 2.0 audio in English sounds great, waves crashing in the distance, people scurrying around whispering at each other while birds chirp in the distance, and sweet music swells in the interstices.

Extras: Trailers for three other movies, including the excellent Apartment Zero, accompany a trailer for Four Last Songs. Closed Captioning and Scene Selections are the remainder of the extras.

Final Thoughts:
If I may generalize, become sexist, or however you want to view it, I'll say this: your wife or girlfriend probably made you rent this. They seek out this genre far more than you (OK, me). If you are a wife, girlfriend, or fan of these movies - romantic comedies set in foreign lands - you will enjoy Four Last Songs quite well, it hits all the right notes and never condescends or is cheap. If you have been brought along to viewing Four Last Songs somewhat against your will, you'll be pleasantly surprised. In the end, it's an assured, oft-times funny, ultimately affecting viewing experience, and at the very least, will have you clamoring for a Spanish vacation.

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