'You, Me & Tuscany' Review: Sappy, Sweet, C+ Rom-Com
‘You, Me & Tuscany’ Review: Sappy, Sweet, C+ Rom-Com
SPOILER NOTICE:
The following movie review does not contains direct spoilers for the film You, Me & Tuscany, however general information in regards to the plot, characters, key climax points, prior films in the franchise and themes explored in the film will be heavily discussed. Please read at your own discretion, or after seeing the film in theaters.
A good romantic comedy has the ability to turn even the biggest lovelorn cynic into a sappy sweetheart, even if just for an hour-and-a-half. A good rom-com, as they’ve become to be known as, also finds a perfect blend of storytelling, relatable relationship conflict, comedic support by way of supporting stars and, most importantly, lead love interests who really know how to sell it.
You, Me & Tuscany, the newest romantic comedy arriving in theaters by way of Universal Pictures and producer Will Packer, unfortunately falls short of achieving those aforementioned tropes by filling the film with an excess number of them. As for co-stars Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, well, you’ve simply seen it all before.
And we mean all of it.
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It would only be fair to start off with what makes You, Me & Tuscany enjoyable rather than extraordinary. Director Kat Coiro paces the film in a way that’s pleasing on the eyes, particularly for travel aficionados in the audience. The dual settings of New York City and Tuscany — filming across Italy’s Amalfi Coast made for a winning component — creates a cultural blending that could easily influence a boost in tourism on a whim. Bailey’s character, Anna, does just that after a chance meeting at a bar with a stranger named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). Following a failed romantic encounter, and some serious evasion of privacy on the part of sweet Anna, our leading lady somehow finds the “je ne sais quoi” to travel to Tuscany in search of an adventure. This is where things start to fall off.
After finding the miraculous funds to make it to Italy from The Big Apple, our dear “Mary-Sue” once again miraculously finds a free meal, a free ride from a super-friendly, non-threatening cab driver named Lorenzo (Marco Calvani) and a free five-day stay thanks to her aforementioned evasion of privacy. With a syrupy sweet demeanor and a smile that could end a world war, Anna goes through a plot that sees her winning everyone over with lies and then achieving the consolation prize of an “actual brother” — her words! — who comes by way of the dashing Michael (co-lead Regé-Jean Page). As they fall in love in front of the entire family, who all are somehow rooting for them while still keeping hope alive on the plot’s biggest lie, it all just starts to feel way too farfetched even for a fictional film. Just when you think it can’t get any more sappy, they pour it on thick with a finale that shows Anna — surprise, surprise! — singing her way back into the boxers of her unrequited lover.
Call a dentist, stat.
Another unfortunate loss in translation was the mishandling of our culture through the two (and only) lead Black stars. While Regé-Jean Page plays a character of biracial lineage, much like his real-life ethnicity, Halle Bailey is portrayed as a Black woman with an inner-city American upbringing. Sadly, her profession as an expert chef never reflects the soulful side of her cooking. We’re left to believe she simply Le Cordon Bleu’d her way through the kitchen. As for Page, the only link we see to his Blackness throughout the film is an admittedly respectable love for Mario’s 2004 chart-topping single, “Let Me Love You.”
While we would never recommend going to Italy with nothing but a dream and a bright smile, we would recommend seeing You, Me & Tuscany if not only for the grasping scenic view as shot beautifully by Danny Ruhlmann and edited by Troy Takaki. ¡Bellisimo!
Our dear cynics, you might want to sit this one out.
Watch the trailer for You, Me & Tuscany below starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, and see the film in theaters beginning this Friday (April 10):
