‘You, Me & Tuscany’ a predictable charmer

There are no real surprises in “You, Me & Tuscany,” the new romantic comedy that makes the most of its charming leads and gorgeous cinematography.

Yes it’s predictable, but it also understands the assignment and completes it well. It’s a light confection that is a throwback to the romantic comedies that were released on a seemingly weekly basis pre-pandemic.

“Tuscany” stars Hailey Bailey as Anna, a young woman living in New York who dropped out of culinary school after her mom dies and is now a house sitter in New York.

One night at a hotel bar she meets Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor) and they bond with Matteo showing Anna pictures of his empty family villa in Tuscany. Anna decides to fly to Italy, but when she is unable to find a hotel she decides to sneak into Matteo’s villa and stay there.

But things are complicated when Matteo’s family arrives and through a series of misunderstandings thinks that Anna is his fiancee. Things are further complicated when Anna starts to have feelings for Matteo’s cousin and adapted brother Michael (Regé-Jean Page).

If you’ve seen the trailer (which has played on the front of every movie the last six months) you know exactly how all of this is going to play out. And while it appears that trailer gave away everything, there is just enough left to keep the final act from being totally predictable with Ryan and Kristen N. Engle’s screenplay having a few tricks up its sleeve.

Director Kat Coiro, whose resume is mostly in television, shoots the Italian countryside mostly like a travelogue, albeit a very entertaining one, with the exquisite cinematography from Danny Ruhlmann one of the film’s highlights.

This is a film more interested in being a cozy tour of Italy than anything with any real substance, with the family more caricatures than fully fleshed out characters, but its simple approach proves to be its charm.

The vineyards, the lavish countryside and the sequences shot in the kitchen preparing food are all done really well and keep things moving along at a brisk pace.

It all goes down easy thanks to its two very photogenic and effective leads. Bailey and Page are both as charming as the script wants to be with the kind of believable chemistry that makes all the predictable story beats palpable.

The camera loves them — even more so when they are together in a scene — so it’s easy to forgive any shortcomings because Bailey and Page make it easy to be emotionally invested.

It’s a formula that has been done millions of times, but “Tuscany” manages to have just enough to stay interesting. It’s not gonna be a film that leaves a lasting impact, but in the moment it does its job – providing audiences with a charming bit escapism.

Grade: B-

About Micheal Compton

I am a sports reporter and movie critic for the Bowling Green Daily News.

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