A scene from ‘You, Me & Tuscany’

You, Me & Tuscany review: A delectable fantasy

‘You, Me & Tuscany’ is a typical rom-com that overcomes its predictability with an amusing journey to happily ever after.

Dropping everything to fly off to another country on a whim is just a fantasy for most people. Responsibilities and other constraints prevent most of us from living the dream. But should you have the chance to travel, exploring a new place is exciting. Experiencing everything an unfamiliar location has to offer is the key to getting the most out of a trip. The best way to immerse yourself in a foreign culture is through its food. In You, Me & Tuscany, a young woman escapes to Italy when things at home fall apart.

Anna (Halle Bailey) takes her housesitting duties a little too literally, resulting in an awkward confrontation and swift firing. While eating her feelings in a hotel bar, she meets Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). He wows her with pictures of his villa in Tuscany, encouraging her to take her dream trip. With nothing holding her down, she books her ticket. Then, with nowhere to stay, she decides to crash at his empty villa. But when Matteo’s family finds her intruding, she avoids arrest by letting them believe she’s his fiancée. His family is wonderful, but the lie soon stands in the way of a potentially real romance with his cousin-brother, Michael (Regé-Jean Page).

The film follows the old school rom-com formula. Anna is running away from her emotions by living vicariously through her employers and avoiding planning for the future. When she and Michael meet, they immediately irritate each other. But it’s not long before they’re constantly making googly eyes at each other, even though her fake engagement means they can’t be together. Of course, the truth will set them free. But there’s always something — generally cowardice — to prevent Anna from coming clean.

Matteo and Michael’s relatives all have big, Italian personalities that make each interaction with them distinctly comedic. Their sister, Francesca (Stella Pecollo), is the loudest and funniest, whether she’s being sincere or cheeky. Their younger brother, Enzo (Tommaso Cassissa), is glued to his phone. The wannabe influencer is always filming everything, while completely missing all the excitement around him. Their father, Vincenzo (Marco Calvani), yearns for someone to love the family’s restaurant as much as him, while mother, Gabriella (Isabella Ferrari), dotes excessively on her favourite boys. Conversely, Nonna Alessia (Stefania Casini) is quiet, but always watching suspiciously from the sidelines. Anna finds her own ally and confidante shortly after her arrival. Lorenzo (Marco Calvani) is the ideal best friend: understanding, optimistic and always there for you with a sandwich but not judgement.

Being predictable and fun are not mutually exclusive. It doesn’t matter that the moment sparks fly between Michael and Anna, it’s obvious they’ll be together by the end of the movie. Or that when Anna walks into Vincenzo’s kitchen, it’s clear her culinary skills will be put to use sooner than later. The journey to these predictable destinations is lighthearted, entertaining fluff.

The film is not exactly a travelogue, but it does highlight Italy’s best assets: incredible food and breathtaking landscapes. The meals are consistently made with fresh ingredients from the local market. They cook with passion, and everyone eats and drinks with gusto. Food is a way of life and they live it to the fullest. Every morning begins with a sun rise over a beautiful horizon. They take drives through the countryside and romp through massive vineyards. The overall aesthetic is simple, rustic, friendly… and rich.

It’s kind of annoying when romantic comedies feature wealthy people — or, more specifically, wealthy people falling in love with broke people. The family owns large villas, the city’s oldest restaurant, a successful vineyard, and they drive a vintage roadster and Maserati. On the other hand, Anna is behind on her rent and drains her savings to fund her trip.

Nonetheless, the pair make a cute couple. Page is an established Bridgerton hottie, radiating good looks and exuding charisma. The occasional glimpse of his eight-pack is a bonus. Conversely, this is Halle’s step into a more mature narrative. Her character is still youthful, but she’s making grown-up choices. She still bats her big doe eyes to get her way, but her real appeal is the sincerity she brings to her performance.

Director: Kat Coiro
Starring: Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page and Lorenzo de Moor

Similar Posts

  • ‘The Boy Next Door’ quickly loses its appeal (Includes first-hand account)

    There are people that measure the quality of a neighbourhood based on the friendliness of its community. Morning hellos, block parties, barbecues and play dates paint a picture perfect scene. But considering most violent crimes are committed by someone you know, perhaps sociability isn’t always a good thing. In The Boy Next Door, a woman’s dinner offer invites much more than she intended.

  • Review: ‘Home’ relies on funny characters to alleviate predictable story (Includes first-hand account)

    The world (and apparently the universe) is full of people who don’t fit in and are, therefore, excluded and/or ignored by their peers. It seems like no matter how many are there to say it’s okay to be different, there are dozens more shouting the opposite. But not being like everyone else can have its advantages too. In Home, an alien’s specialness is what eventually elevates him to hero status.

  • Review: TIFF 2018: Cheer on ‘The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia’ (Includes first-hand account)

    In addition to being hilarious, there was another reason fans gravitated towards Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series — it was about an ordinary bloke in uncommon circumstances in an alien world. If the truth is, in fact, out there, perhaps one day some aspect of these stories could prove to be true. Forget travelling the world… people could travel the universe. In The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia, a woman with a relatively banal existence is presented the opportunity of a lifetime and she can’t wait to accept.

  • Review: ‘Widows’ is an electrifying narrative grounded in the real world (Includes first-hand account)

    Heist movies have been known to come in all shapes and sizes. The amount of the plunder, the number of participants, the complexity of the plan and, more recently, the gender of the thieves are all variables with which storytellers have the freedom to play. There have been a number of similar plots rehashed in different ways over the years, but it’s always notable when something new is brought to a longstanding genre. Widows is that film, finding a unique narrative to share with audiences eager for something new.

  • ‘A Skyjacker’s Tale’ director mirrors own uncertainty on screen (Includes interview and first-hand account)

    Sometimes the best, most intriguing stories are the ones you could never have made up. In 1972, eight people are murdered on a Rockefeller golf course in the U.S. Virgin Islands by masked gunmen. Out of the hundreds of men questioned, five are charged and convicted of the crime by a judge with ties to the Rockefellers. Maintaining their innocence, they spend the next several years trying to appeal the eight consecutive life sentences they each received. On New Year’s Eve 1984, frustrated by their lack of progress, Ishmael Muslim Ali (formerly Labeet) hijacks a plan during a prison transfer and redirects it to Cuba, where he’s lived ever since.

  • ‘The Big Sick’ trailer isn’t promoting a typical rom-com (Includes first-hand account)

    The beginnings of relationships, particularly as one gets older, can be difficult. People begin to feel like there’s less time to find “the one” and that most of the good fish have already been plucked out of the sea. Spending any extended period of time with someone quickly leads to, “can I see myself spending the rest of my life with this person?” However, even if one person answers in the affirmative, there’s no guarantee the other person will too. Unfortunately, sometimes fear makes people say things they don’t really mean… and there isn’t always an opportunity to take it back. All of these play out in The Big Sick trailer.