La critique de James Berardinelli (fin)

Puccini for Beginners strives to be a screwball comedy and there are times when it succeeds (as during a cell phone conversation outside a restaurant). More often, however, the humor is subtle, avoiding the kinds of slapstick that turn characters into caricatures. Maggenti's screenplay may be highly dependent upon coincidence and contrivance, but the men and women populating it make it easier to accept. As for Puccini, he gets little more than a cameo. His music forms the skeleton of the score and Allegra is a big fan, but the film doesn't demand or impart any knowledge about opera. As sit-coms go, this one is smarter and brighter than standard TV fare, which may account in part for its appeal.