“You, Me & Tuscany” A Sweet, Easy Going Rom-Com
- Matt Palmer
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Sometimes the wrong place is right where you need to be in this romantic comedy about one little lie, one large Italian villa and two people getting lost in the sauce of love.
Anna is a young woman who has abandoned her dreams of becoming a chef and is now drifting through her twenties with a series of bad choices. When Anna loses her house-sitting job (and housing) in one fell swoop, a chance encounter with Matteo - a handsome Italian who happens to have a villa sitting empty in Tuscany - will inspire her to jet off for Italy, against the advice of her always honest bestie, Claire.
But Anna’s plan to crash at Matteo’s villa, without permission, falls apart when Matteo’s mother, Gabriella, shows up at the house unexpectedly. In a panic, Anna allows Gabriella to believe that she is Matteo’s fiancee. That little lie becomes a big problem, though, when Matteo’s cousin, Michael, shows up, and Anna discovers that the heat between them may ignite a fire that will transform their life.
“You, Me & Tuscany” is a delightful little romantic comedy that delivers a nice little escape and fantastic scenery. Even though this new rom-com can be a bit on the predictable side, this romance story can still deliver some sweet and fairly humorous moments.
Before talking about the actual romance story of the movie, I really have to give a big shout out to the incredibly beautiful scenery that we see throughout the movie. The cinematography, which features the rolling hills of Tuscany, numerous sun-drenched landscapes and the vineyards, is a major highlight. It can sometimes honestly feel like a virtual vacation in a way, providing a much-needed mental getaway.
And I also have to mention the several mouth-watering food scenes that are scattered throughout. We see a few scenes where an Italian family works in a kitchen and see how they prepare and share the food - this really highlights the “food is life” culture of Italy.
So, while the overall story of “You, Me & Tuscany” has a predictable vibe to it with using the “enemies to lovers” formula, it does still work. The chemistry between Halle Bailey (Anna) and Rege-Jean Page (Michael) is really spot on and makes most of their moments together even more romantic as the movie goes on.
The new romantic comedy also features quite a few feel-good moments, such as the Italian family telling Anna that she has family now (after telling them about her mother’s passing), and many moments where we see the town of Pienza connect during a local festival (which is great to see).
There’s a humorous meta moment where Anna and Michael are having a moment at the vineyard and the sprinkler system goes off. A nearby wine tour bus sees them and one of the on-lookers shouting they want “some of that Shondra Rhimes, Bridgerton ‘stuff’,” (she doesn’t exactly say ‘stuff’) and if you don’t know, Rege-Jean Page starred in the first season of “Bridgerton.”
“You, Me & Tuscany” has received a mixed to positive overall response, with most critics and audiences noting its predictable formula while largely praising its charming atmosphere and lead performances. The movie is widely regarded as a pleasant escape that benefits from beautiful Italian scenery and strong chemistry!
Cast: Halle Bailey (Anna); Rege’-Jean Page (Michael); Marco Calvani (Lorenzo); Lorenzo de Moor (Matteo); Aziza Scott (Claire); Mia Vardalos (Mrs. Dunn); Isabella Ferrari (Gabriella); Emanuele Pacca (Giuseppe)
Writer/director: Ryan Engle (writer) (Beast; Breaking In; Rampage; The Commuter; Non-Stop); Kat Coiro (director) (Marry Me)
MPA: Rated PG -13 for some strong language and sexual material (runtime 104 minutes)
Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what else I plan on checking out for the Examiner coming up! And, if you don’t have access to Facebook here is a rundown of what I have planned for the April 29th edition: “Is This Thing On” (recent release 2025); “EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert” (Spring Film Festival); “Midwinter Break” (Spring Film Festival); “The Rock” (Rewind Series - 30th anniversary) and “Space Jam” (Rewind Series - 30th anniversary).
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