PLOT: When a woman crashes at an empty Italian villa, posing as the owner’s fiancée, she discovers an unexpected romance that may transform her life.
REVIEW: It feels like a long time has passed since a truly great romantic comedy graced the big screen. Sure, we had recent box office explosions like Anyone But You, but I’m talking about a movie that hits that elusive sweet spot of pure comfort. The kind of film you’re more than happy to revisit on a rainy Sunday afternoon. You, Me & Tuscany aims directly for that classic vibe.
The story follows Anna (Halle Bailey), a New York City housesitter who shelved her culinary dreams after the passing of her mother. After a chance encounter at a hotel bar with a wealthy Italian real estate developer named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor), Anna takes a massive leap of faith. She travels to Italy and decides to crash his supposedly empty villa in Tuscany. Throughout a series of classic romantic comedy happenings, she gets caught and finds herself posing as Matteo’s fiancée to his tight knit family. Things get even more complicated when she begins to fall for Matteo’s charming adopted brother with an 8-pack, Michael (Regé-Jean Page), who runs the family vineyard.
Make no mistake, Ryan and Kristin Engle’s screenplay is completely paint by the numbers. If you’ve seen the trailer, you already know the exact destination of this journey. But in this specific genre, predictability is hardly a sin. Much like the mouthwatering Italian dishes prepared throughout the film, a heartwarming romantic comedy relies on a simple, trusted recipe. When the ingredients are right, you’re always happy to order it again. Yet, there are a couple of creative choices here that keep the film from being just shy of an experience at Olive Garden.
Things get off to a slightly rocky start in New York with clunky pacing and some questionable performance choices. Bailey is an absolute delight as Anna, bringing an innocent energy that makes her character’s chaotic b&e seem mischievous rather than criminal. Still, the script forces her to deliver some awkward lines early on that momentarily stunt her natural charm. Another element that consistently pulled me out was the handling of her best friend, Claire. Aziza Scott is genuinely hilarious in the role, but reducing her interactions to floating text bubbles or jarringly loud voicemails feels entirely out of place for a visually lush movie like this.
Thankfully, once Anna touches down in Italy, the movie finds its footing and settles right into the breezy escapism I was craving. The sweeping cinematography, paired with a lively romantic score by John Debney, turns the landscape into a character of its own, which is a cliched line in itself. It honestly feels like a welcomed throwback to 2000s romantic comedies, even including “Let Me Love You” by Mario as prominent track. Look, putting the words “throwback” and “2000s” in the same sentence makes me feel like I should be shopping for a walking cane by now, but the comparison is a high compliment. It carries the same crowd-pleasing energy of The Proposal and feels like a stylish distant cousin to Leap Year. The film leans into every classic trope with zero shame, right down to the no nonsense grandmother who clearly sees through the charade from minute one.
The supporting cast understands exactly what kind of movie they are in, especially Marco Calvani, who brings fantastic spirit as the local sandwich-eating cab driver. But it’s Page who effortlessly steals the show and completely anchors the romance. The dude knows exactly how to weaponize his charisma, and even finds a way to get drenched in a sprinkler…not once, but twice because why the hell not?
Director Kat Coiro (Marry Me, Girls5eva) guides the whole affair with a light and confident touch, serving up premium escapist fantasy. Even though I feel like I’ve tasted this exact meal before, it’s a delicious, comforting recipe that I’ll gladly enjoy for years to come.
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