With Spring in full bloom, are you hoping that love (at least on the big screen) is also blossoming? For those fans of romantic flicks with a healthy dose of comedy (maybe more swoony passion than yuks), 2026 hasn’t been much of a harvest. REMINDERS OF HIM really leans into melodramatic tragedy. And then there’s last week’s big release, THE DRAMA, which starts with the old reliable “meet cute” with lots of chemistry between the two leads, then takes a very sharp “turn” into the dark, almost “pitch black”, squirmy, sardonic. Where are the exotic locales, and the smouldering looks of desire between two likable, extremely photogenic actors? Well, right now. You can tag along, via the multiplex, to a far-off fantasy destination as the “seat mate” to YOU, ME & TUSCANY. Just be prepared for a “pasta-palooza”.
Ah, but the opening scene locale is right here in the States, the “Big Apple”. Lovely twenty-something Anna (Hallie Bailey) seems to “have it all” as she sashays through NYC. But we soon find out that all is not what it seems. She’s adrift, making a meager living as a housesitter. Her plans to be a chef were squelched when her mother passed, and she couldn’t graduate from a swank culinary college. Luckily, her BFF Claire (Aziza Scott) can score her a room at the high-end hotel where she works. At their bar, Anna strikes up a conversation with a charming Italian visitor named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). Over many drinks, he tells her that he travels the globe, while leaving his family’s opulent Tuscan villa empty. Anna mentions that she and Mom had planned an Italian trip and still has the unused airline ticket. Matteo tells her that she must make the trip soon. When jet lag gets the better of him, Anna does a “phone drop’ and gets the pics of his “crib”. Of course, she heads to Tuscany without a plan. And it’s the time of the big Summer festival, so every room is booked. Aha, since Matteo’s place is empty, why not “crash’ for a couple days. Anna finds the house keys and, after a night’s slumber, does some “exploring”. She finds a gorgeous ring…and it’s stuck on her finger. As she tries to remove it, she’s “caught” by Matteo’s Mama (Isabella Ferrari) and Nonna (Stefania Casini), who have dropped by to clean the place. As Anna sputters an explanation, they spot the ring. She must be his fiancée! Anna goes along with the “fib” in the hope she can sneak out of town soon and fly back home. But things get complicated when the family warmly embraces her (this means Matteo will finally return to them). And then things get “super-complicated” when Anna meets Matteo’s dashing, gorgeous wine-making brother/cousin Michael (Rege’-Jean Page). Should she risk sticking around and hope that she’s not exposed as a fraud? Oh, but there’s a real spark with that “grape-grower.”
I think I alluded to the charm and “pleasant presence” of the two leads earlier. Getting most of the screen time (well, it’s really her story) is the bubbly Bailey, who easily gets the audience on her side despite some questionable decisions as Anna. She’s adept as the “straight” to many of the often silly supporting players, while showing her budding attraction to the splendid Page, whose engaging smile often masks the hurt of loss and loneliness. Of course, he’s initially brash and caustic to Anna when they meet, but the “icy wall” slowly melts away. Much of the cast is there to “punch up” the comedy, and though often they “land” a few. The best “boxer” might be Scott, who’s the “sounding board” for Anna’s ideas while trying to “ground her” while playfully tossing the “B word” (y’know, the lady canine). Matteo is an engaging “cad” thanks to the character choices from de Boor. The first ‘local” in Anna’s “corner” is a most helpful taxi driver played with an endearing sense of fun by Marco Calvani. And then there’s the “familia”. Ferrari warmly embraces Anna, almost from the start, while Casini elicits laughs with her suspicious glances and feisty spirit. Stella Pecollo really “goes for it” as the bubbly free-spirited Francesca, quick with a slapstick leer. Grounding them all is the stern, stoic patriarch played by the intimidating Paolo Sassanelli.
Guiding this group is director Kat Corio, a TV vet who last scored in features with the J. Lo vehicle MARRY ME. This is a bit of a step up from the ludicrous premise of that one, but she often hits the comedy beats too hard with this, leaning in hard with mugging clos-ups and clumsy physical schtick. She does better in the quieter scenes of Anna falling for Michael, although Corio uses the tired cliche of the leads bonding during a long montage, their dialogue replaced by a forgettable pop tune. Ah, well, the target audience for this isn’t looking for realism, but fantasy fluff. And it’s got that to spare, along with the dazzling location and drool-inspiring cuisine (Matteo’s family runs the big restaurant). So, we’ve got both travel and food “porn” here. And lots of cute, colorful sitcom tropes. especially middle-aged lady tourists leering at a shirtless Page (as Slappy Squirrel used to say< “Now, that’s comedy”). Really, this is a pasta-fueled big -budget expansion of so many basic cable TV flicks (minus the holiday themes) that coast on the locales and the charm of the leads. Fans of this kind of “comfort food” will certainly feel full afterward, while anyone looking for anything more substantial will be famished by the “lighter than air” frivolity of YOU, ME & TUSCANY.
1.5 Out of 4
YOU, ME & TUSCANY is now playing in theatres everywhere
