First Impressions: When Finding Love Needs a Passport in “You, Me, and Tuscany”
On April 10, a new romantic comedy hit theaters, just in time for the spring/summer months and, more importantly, when the season heats up! As a lover of all things romance, I was particularly struck by You, Me, and Tuscany’s debut. Not only because of its star-studded cast, which includes Disney’s The Little Mermaid actress and half of sister-duo phenomenon Chloe x Halle, Halle Bailey, as Anna and Netflix’s Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page as Michael, but also because of what the film represents. More importantly, I was thrilled to see a new generation of Black leads at the center of a lighthearted love story. After more than a month of rewatching the film and reflecting on my thoughts, I believe it’s the right moment to revisit You, Me, and Tuscany and give my review and honest impressions for people who may be on the fence about seeing this movie.
Meeting Anna
In the opening sequence, we meet Anna (Halle Bailey), a young twenty-something woman who works as a professional home sitter for the upper echelon. This wasn’t always Anna’s dream, as she had goals of becoming a chef and even went to culinary school. Her mother, who had previously worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant, inspired her goal.
Anna and her mother had hoped to travel to Italy and master the culinary arts firsthand together, but Anna was forced to put her life on hold after her mother became ill and died within a year. With the pain of her mother’s death affecting her relationship with the kitchen, Anna decided to take a break from her dreams and pretend to live her life like the affluent clients whose homes she watches.
When House Sitting Takes a Turn and Begins a New Chapter
While pretending to live a luxurious lifestyle may seem all fun and games, Anna is caught in the act of trying on a tenant’s clothes and is told to leave before completing her work assignment. With no steady income, she is forced to go to her best friend Claire’s (Aziza Scott) workplace, a hotel, and beg for a place to charge her phone and grab a meal.
Claire initially agrees, and Anna’s life trajectory changes dramatically when she goes to the hotel’s bar and encounters the charming Mateo (Lorenzo de Moor). As the two continue to converse over drinks about their passions and backstories, Mateo shows Anna his villa and encourages her to pursue her initial ambition, which she and her mother had set for themselves, and truly enjoy what life has to offer in Italy.
Impromptu Trip to Italy
@youmetuscany Part 5 | You, Me & Tuscany as a microdrama 🍝❤️ Watch You, Me & Tuscany at home now.
♬ original sound – You, Me & Tuscany
Inspired by Mateo’s words from their chance encounter, Anna decides to use the plane ticket she saved and the rest of her savings to arrange a trip to Tuscany. With little money, she befriends one of the locals, a cab driver named Lorenzo (Marco Calvani), but Anna is unable to book any hotel reservations as they are all booked up ahead of the major summer festival.
At first, experiencing authentic Italian cuisine seems to be the only positive aspect of her trip. However, her plans are derailed when an annoying but strangely charming stranger steals her sandwich, leading to a little banter between them. Remember him, because he’ll reappear in Anna’s life in due time!
Because she still has a picture of Mateo’s villa on her phone and can pinpoint its exact location, Anna’s experience in house-sitting helps her become an expert trespasser. In an unwise move, she uses a spare key to temporarily stay at Mateo’s villa because, according to Mateo, no one will show up.
Becoming the New Fiancée
When Anna wakes up from a night at the villa, Mateo’s mother and grandmother enter the home that very morning, shattering her bubble. They ultimately find Anna, and before they can send her away to the proper authorities, she pretends to be Mateo’s fiancé and lies about Mateo’s impending return for their wedding. Mateo’s nonna (grandmother) Alessia (Stefania Casini) remains skeptical about the whole situation, but his mother Gabriela (Isabella Ferrari) is delighted by this. In any case, Anna rescues herself to live another day — or at least to avoid the possibility of being imprisoned in Italy for the remainder of her trip!
Anna is warmly welcomed into Mateo’s family, and the entire family is fascinated to discover more about the new mystery woman who has captured his heart. While meeting the family for a breakfast at their vineyard, the unpleasant stranger from earlier is reintroduced as Michael (Regé-Jean Page), Mateo’s cousin who has grown up alongside him as a brother!
Budding Feelings for Your Fiancé’s Cousin?
Anna is initially hesitant to get close to Michael, and he feels the same way. However, as her family pressures her to consider wedding ideas with Mateo, she and Michael start to bond through a series of meaningful moments. These include Michael giving Anna a tour of his family’s vineyard, sharing wine, and opening up authentically about their shared experiences of family grief.
Michael and Anna developed feelings for each other fairly quickly, but the film, in my opinion, makes it almost seamless and unspoken, as their quiet realizations or paused moments of tension between scenes help to really underscore their growing longing for each other without crossing a boundary for either of them. Anna also overcomes her grief and truly embraces the kitchen when Mateo’s father assigns her as the head chef ahead of the festival, allowing Anna to reconnect with her dreams in a new way.
Secrets Out
You, Me, and Tuscany reaches its boiling point when Mateo arrives after getting word from his ex-fiancée Isabella about his alleged engagement. At first upset, Mateo asksAnna to stop the charade and reveal her lie to his family; however, when he realizes how happy his family was for him, he feels compelled to continue the act.
However, Michael’s feelings for Anna continue to grow, and a pivotal incident occurs, forcing Anna to grudgingly confess and let go of the connection and life she found in her brief time in the city. But this does not necessarily imply that all hope is lost. Mateo’s nonna confronts Anna before she leaves and assures her that her lies do not diminish the family’s love for her, particularly Michael’s, but that she must accept her own faults and move on for the sake of the future.
Final Thoughts
For me, the film perfectly captures the concept of found family. I thought it was a touching portrayal of finding home where the heart is, with both Michael and Anna enduring many moments of grief or loss, but were able to face such challenges with a loved one by their side. I believe the film also showcased Black romance tastefully by allowing it to exist as a romantic comedy first and foremost, rather than focusing solely on identity or struggle, and allowing the characters to freely express their own stories. It also never hurts to embark on an international love story, and I believe You, Me, and Tuscany helped to open a new chapter and a new generation of stories led by Black protagonists, which will hopefully enter mainstream and spark further discussion of Black leading characters in lighthearted works that celebrate our truly unique and vibrant walks of life!
Want to watch it in the comfort of your own home? You, Me, and Tuscany is now available for rent or purchase on streaming services such as Prime Video.
Looking for another cozy romance that travels abroad? Why not read our first impressions of season 3 of XO, Kitty!
