By David Germain
The Associated Press
The doomed heroine of “Romeo and Juliet” is the nominal inspiration for “Letters to Juliet,” an unbearably predictable romance that would profane her name if it were not lifted a notch by the graceful, if inexplicable, presence of Vanessa Redgrave.
The movie takes viewers on a road trip through the gorgeous Italian countryside. But Amanda Seyfried and Redgrave are stranded along the romantic byways in a story so phony it feels more inspired by the works of William Shatner than William Shakespeare.
Director Gary Winick (“Bride Wars”) and screenwriter Jose Rivera (“The Motorcycle Diaries”) start piling on contrivances almost from the outset as wannabe New York City journalist Sophie (Seyfried) heads off on a trip to Verona, where Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale unfolded.