Every classic rom-com film possesses that timeless, five-star balance: 50 percent rom, 50 percent com. Unfortunately for “You, Me & Tuscany,” it managed to achieve 0 percent romance and 0 percent comedy, leaving me less curious about how it will end and more curious about when it will end.
“You, Me & Tuscany” stars Halle Bailey, best known for her performance as Ariel in Disney’s 2023 live action “The Little Mermaid.” Bailey portrays the role of Anna, a young woman who, years prior, watched her culinary passion fade with the death of her mother. Struggling to keep up with New York City’s callous environment, she makes the impulsive decision to live out her mother’s dream of moving to Italy. However, upon arrival she fails to find a place to stay and hides out in the villa of a man she hardly knows.
Her love interest is Matteo, played by Lorenzo de Moor. What starts as desperation turns into a game of charades when Matteo’s family comes home and Anna must pretend to be his fiancée in order to avoid the consequences of trespassing.
Written by Ryan Engle and directed by Kat Coiro, the story creates a light, airy adult romantic comedy while also highlighting the need for passion in one’s life. While the acting was strong, the script was questionable and, honestly, uncomfortable. Riddled with boring clichés, Anna’s irrational and chaotic decisions left me more anxious than curious to see how the story would unravel.
Moreover, the lighting in most scenes appeared artificial, making it hard for me to believe that parts of this film were actually shot outdoors. The director included a variety of interesting shots, such as the camera following an object, but it only resulted in messy and hard-to-look-at shots.
One thing that I wondered while leaving the theater: why was this movie released theatrically? While production cost Universal Studios $18 million, the film only grossed approximately $8 million at the box office, culminating in an underwhelming opening weekend. On top of that, the big-screen viewing didn’t enhance the experience, especially with the questionable lighting and odd directorial choices.
The highlight of this movie was the chemistry between Bailey and her secondary love interest, Michael, played by Regé-Jean Page. Page is most known for his breakout role as Simon Basset on the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton.” Both Bailey’s and Page’s performances were executed well and influenced how I viewed the conflict and underlying question of, “who will Anna choose?”
My final verdict: 2/5 stars. Even though this movie isn’t Oscar-worthy by any means, it still finds a way to make you laugh, both through comedy and cringe. However, the cinematography was subpar and the script didn’t quite have the ingredients to sustain its own plot, creating a predictable and bland ending. This movie could be perfect for you if you dream of traveling to Italy, are a die-hard “Bridgerton” fan looking for an excuse to watch anything else starring Regé-Jean Page, or miss the cringiness and comfort of a classic Hallmark holiday movie.
