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Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page is back duelling over damsels in this glossy and visually lavish romcom that has him starring opposite The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey and some of the world’s most glorious scenery.
Page plays Michael, a Tuscan winemaker who ends up in the Italian equivalent of a ménage à trois with his cousin (Lorenzo de Moor) and his ‘fake’ fiancée. Bailey is Anna, an American culinary school dropout who flies to Italy and squats at her former flame’s Tuscan villa. When she’s caught by his all-seeing Nona, she pretends to be his wife-to-be, while simultaneously falling under Michael’s spell. Ah! Welcome back overly-complicated romcom plots, we’ve missed you.
Obviously, if you’re looking for intellectual stimulation or clever plot twists, you won’t find them here. Instead, producer Will Packer (Girls Trip, Think Like a Man) and director Kat Coiro (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) merrily lock in on all those well-worn romcom tropes. It’s not just one parent that’s bumped off for background, it’s four. All the local Italians seem to drive Fiat 500s and drink Aperol like orange juice, stopping just shy of breaking into ‘Nessun Dorma’ over their morning cappuccinos.
Regé-Jean Page’s abs are featured so frequently, they deserve their own credit
As well as Page’s abs, featured so frequently they deserve their own IMDb credit, You, Me and Tuscany wastes no opportunity to show off this cinematic corner of the world. DP Danny Ruhlmann’s photography is pure eye-candy, with ravishing shots of the cypress-lined roads of Val d'Orcia and close-ups of caprese salads that will have you counting your Avios points.
It's cheering to see the return of the Black-led romantic-comedy, and the film’s celebratory spirit is infectious. A karaoke rendition of Mario’s R&B classic, Let Me Love You, will be the cherry on the cake for millennials of a certain age.
You, Me and Tuscany is a knowing call back to a golden age of romantic comedy – Billy Wilder’s Sabrina is one obvious reference point – that leans into the whimsical and downright silly. It’s not going to win any awards, but it’ll sure make an excellent in-flight movie – ideally en route to Italy.
In cinema worldwide Fri Apr 10.