On April 10, “You, Me & Tuscany” splashed into theaters, acting as the perfect intro to summer. Directed by Kat Coiro, “You, Me & Tuscany” follows Anna (Halle Bailey), who decides to take a spontaneous vacation to Italy after losing her housekeeping job. She has a rude awakening when her first Italian meal is ruined by the hard working and captivating Michael (Rege-Jean Page), when he orders the last sandwich. The film allows viewers the chance to live vicariously through Anna, and enjoy her chaotic, yet fabulous European getaway.
I personally loved the casting for the movie. Halle Bailey was great for the role of a cute, charming and a bit clueless lead, and her comedic timing and line delivery was perfect. Rege-Jean Page also fit his character really well! His charming demeanor and chemistry with Halle Bailey was really enjoyable to watch and made me root for them as a couple. All of the actors are physically attractive, which in my opinion, was the appeal of the whole movie. Beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes with beautiful scenery. I also loved the casting of Claire (Aziza Scott), who played Anna’s best friend and was the major comic relief. She acted as the voice of reason and had some really funny dialogue that she delivered effortlessly. The audience loved her.
The costumes were another exciting aspect of the film. Anna was always dressed in a super cute outfit perfectly appropriate for each occasion. My favorite of her looks was the white dress she wore during her wine tasting in the vineyard, but I may be a little biased considering that was my favorite scene in the movie. Anna and Michael accidentally get caught in the irrigation system of the vineyard, then help her escape back to dry land to save her edges. It was a super cute scene and I loved everything about it. But back to the costumes, all of Anna’s outfits looked like my dream Pinterest board for a vacation to Italy, and she was always rocking a full face of glam.
My biggest Tuscano-no with the film was that I was getting severe second hand guilt watching Anna dig herself deeper and deeper into her lies. I had to continually remind myself not to feel stressed on behalf of the characters, and just to sit back and enjoy the movie. Once I started taking the plot a little less seriously, I started to have a lot more fun with the film. However, I do tend to find myself losing patience with movies where the main character just continues to make bad mistakes one after another. Anna’s character was able to maintain her composure and the overall mood of the film stayed positive which was good, but I just wish there could have been a few moments here and there that gave the viewer some relief, instead of waiting for the very end of the film for everything to be revealed.
Although I did enjoy the movie, I must note that it was extremely unrealistic and cliché. The writing was fun and comedic but it didn’t sound anything like how people speak in real life, which kept taking me out of a story. Also the ethics of all the characters were pretty much non-existent, with characters having affairs, breaking and entering, stealing, compulsively lying and even getting into physical altercations. Which as you can imagine, all of those things make for a pretty entertaining movie, but it did make me question why I was still rooting for Anna after all the damage she caused. Although, I think Halle Bailey’s adorable portrayal of the character answers the question.
So in conclusion, I think the film was a fun kickstart to summer, but not a masterpiece in any capacity. It was a feel-good movie and everyone left the theater laughing and excited for their own summer vacation. So, if you’re willing to look past all the cliches and crazy, far-fetched plotlines, take the movie with a grain of salt or perhaps some regional wine and cheese pairings, I think it can be a really enjoyable watch!
“You, Me & Tuscany:” ★★★☆☆
