At some point, Netflix has really cornered the market on rom coms (more quantity-wise, not entirely quality-wise).
With an infinite amount in their library, a fair amount of these Netflix original rom-coms also have to do with exotic travel (the most recent one I remember seeing was People We Meet on Vacation). Looking back, the last of this type I remember seeing in the theater (not including last year’s regrettable A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) was 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians. Sufficite to say, these varieties of rom com getaways are rare in the theater setting, which is why I was surprised to hear about You, Me, & Tuscany, a film coated with everything those predictable Netflix movies are known for,…but is that a bad thing?
You can tell less than twenty seconds in (just look at the opening credits and how they are presented), as we meet Anna (Halle Bailey). We learn she yearned her whole life to be a chef before her mother passed, leaving her to be a house sitter. She eventually meets and falls for (sort of) Matteo (Lorenzo de Moore), originally from Tuscany. This inspires her to go to Italy (for she always wanted to go with her mom), only to find Matteo’s family and (through truly absurd circumstances) become involved in their lives, even if it means having to get along with Matteo’s cousin/adopted brother/overall hunk Michael (Regé-Jean Page).
The film’s director, Kat Cairo, has some past material that would suggest she is good for this film (I never did see 2022’s Marry Me, but I did see episodes of She-Hulk). The story (by Ryan Engle) follows the formula set back nearly a century ago by Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934), with (for the most part) zero surprises.
All that said, the film still won me over. With the majority of the film shot in Italy, it is hard to deny the scenic elegance of the overall product (side note: I would give anything to go to Italy). The supporting cast is efficacious, comprising family members who are just the right level of joyous, not delving too deeply into the realm of cartoonish.
The film rests solely on the 5 ft, 2 inch shoulders of Halle Bailey. She not only manages this with ease, but with a joyful ease. After being surprisingly effective in the not-so-terrible live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (2023) as well as the remake of The Color Purple, this actress/singer is one of the more underrated stars of her generation.
Parents, there is some sexual material and language, but no real nudity. The PG-13 rating is justified here.
Sadly, I have a feeling this is a film that will be destined to find its true calling on a streaming service (Netflix or otherwise). Even if this is not your type of cinematic meal, you have to admire the courage of the filmmakers to have the temerity to bring an old-school rom-com to the big screen.
My compliments to the chef.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 