You, Me & Tuscany: Getting Through Tired Fluff With Charm

Movies are the purest form of escapism. We’ve all seen it before, every once in a while, the next fantasy romcom comes along to sweep audiences away to another world where logic need not apply. That power can be so strong that it is easy to surrender to that fantasy, whatever it may be and for however long it may be for. That is why audiences keep coming back and that should remain the case with You, Me & Tuscany. The title essentially lays out the premise to a tee, with the film’s promotional material promising a romantic adventure in the middle of the titular Italian region with plenty of hijinks. To its credit, the setting is definitely a plus in terms of beautiful landscapes and architecture, making for a decent backdrop for what amounts to a predictable cliché fest. Still somewhat entertaining in spite of its flaws, the film is merely another not so subtle variation of the same formula, for better or worse. In the end, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? To that effect, it certainly knows its target audience and doesn’t go too far our if its way to cater to anyone else. While those predisposed to this genre have already made up their minds (and have already seen the film in most cases), others have already made their decision to keep walking. Both viewpoints are as valid.

You, Me & Tuscany follows Anna (Bailey), a down-on-her-luck woman finally choosing to live her own life. Always wanted to visit Italy and with nowhere to stay in New York City, a potential opportunity would present itself. Meeting Matteo (de Moor), a charming Italian stranger at a bar, the two hit it off as he told her about a Tuscan villa he owned that just happened to be empty. Using her saved plane ticket, Anna made the trek to Tuscany at what would be the worst possible time to find any accommodations, as she happened to arrive during the town’s Summer Festival. Striking out and desperate, Anna settled on Matteo’s villa, thinking it would be empty like he said. Now, it wouldn’t be a film if that were the case, as she happened to run into Matteo’s family. Finding an engagement rink, the only way out of that awkward situation was to claim that she was Matteo’s fiancée. Fully embracing her as one of their own almost immediately, she continued to play along, conflicted but becoming enamored by what she believed to be her own Italian fairy tale. As the film went on, the more entrenched she was in the family. However, things would become even more complicated for Anna after meeting Michael (Page), Matteo’s adoptive brother and nearby vineyard owner.

Initially clashing, the longer they spent together, as Michael showed Anna around the town and his vineyard, the more they developed feelings for one another. That being said, her secret continued to weight heavily on her as Matteo’s family continued to escalate the situation, working up to their presumptive marriage. It was clear that Anna did not have feelings for Matteo, but she had no choice, if only to keep her secret safe. Learning about the developments at home, the estranged Matteo returned to further complicate the situation. For Matteo, Anna’s secret was also his, and the stakes were that much higher than him with the truth threatening to deliver his family yet one more blow following his sudden departure. They were happy for the first time for a long time and maintaining the secret was out of his own self-interest. And this was only the beginning of the pursuit of his own self-interest. Not exactly as charming as he may have seemed based on their first encounter, his true colors made it difficult for Anna, forced to navigate a tightrope between doing the right thing and her feelings for her new family. In the meantime, Michael, and his feelings, found himself stuck in the middle. Struggling to find ‘the one,’ he believed that he had found the one in Anna. However, there was still the issue of her fake engagement to Matteo.

Ultimately, it was only a matter of time until all the truth came to the surface. Not bothering with the same love triangle arc, You, Me & Tuscany is completely devoid of conflict. Boasting a premise that could be easily counteracted by simple questions and fact checking, this should not come as that much of a surprise to anyone. Fluff in every sense of the word, the film brings absolutely nothing new to the table, leaning on the same conventions that have enamored so many for so long, as well as the charm of its particular leads. Not good or bad per se, the material is dull and unchallenging. Be that as it may, Bailey and Page charm their way through it, and are the best part of the film. On the other hand, de Moor, and the rest of the Italian cast deliver charming performances in their own right. Marco Calvani, as a helpful taxi driver named Lorenzo, is a scene-stealer, bringing just the right energy.

You, Me & Tuscany is more unchallenging fluff, for better or worse, where Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page charm their way through the tired romcom formula.

still courtesy of Universal Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.