It’s been a while since we had a Rom-Com featuring Black actors as the leads in theaters. It feels quite strange to say this. But it was also a nice change of pace to see people who look like me falling in love onscreen again. You, Me & Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, brought freshness to the genre and nostalgia for the Black-led Rom-Coms of the past.
You, Me & Tuscany, directed by Kat Cairo and written by Ryan and Kristin Engle, follows Anna (Bailey), a young woman trying to figure out what she wants from life. She’s a talented cook, and when her mother became ill, she dropped out of culinary school just before graduation. It’s now been one year since her mother passed, and since that time, she’s been finding it difficult to get her motivation back.
To make money, she works as a house sitter. But even that isn’t panning out the way she wants. She’s maxing out credit cards to pay for a hamburger and begging her bestie Claire (Aziza Scott) to let her secretly crash in one of the vacant hotel rooms where she works. While in the hotel bar, she meets a handsome Italian guy named Mateo (Lorenzo de Moor), who fills her head with tales of his hometown and his Italian villa.
It sounds wonderful and magical to her. But Mateo isn’t the only reason she loves Italy. She and her mother had planned to take a trip to Tuscany, but then she became ill, so it never happened. Mateo encourages her to take the trip because life is short. She decides to take his advice and heads off to Tuscany with just $500 to her name.
Lies Catch Up To Us
The problem with being impulsive is that she went to Italy during the summer festival. Every hotel is booked solid. With no options left, she decides to crash at Mateo’s villa, which she wasn’t invited to stay in, I might add. Unbeknownst to her the villa is kept up by his mother, Gabriella (Isabella Ferrari), and his Nonna Alessia (Stefania Casini). When the two catch Anna in Mateo’s home wearing an engagement ring, they assume she’s his fiancée. Rather than tell the truth and end up in an Italian jail, she lies and says she is, in fact, his fiancée.
As we all know, lies catch up to us. And situations arise that make it harder to keep the lie going. What makes it difficult for Anna to carry on the ruse is that she starts to fall for his cousin brother (watch the movie to understand), Michael (Page). The sparks between them are immediate. Even when they are fighting over a sandwich. Because Bailey and Page are just naturally charismatic. They have amazing chemistry. And they’re both pretty to look at.
The two spend a lot of time together. It’s no surprise that Anna would fall for him. He’s smart, handsome, and has a massive vineyard that the town gets its wine from. Anna falls in love with all things Tuscany. The townspeople are Beauty and the Beast-level friendly. Mateo’s nieces even refer to Anna as a princess (no doubt a nod to her role as Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid). Anna is having the time of her life.
It’s Complicated
The entire situation becomes even more complicated when Mateo returns and learns about his “Engagement.” He was prepared for Anna to confess everything. After he sees how happy his family is to have him home, he decides to keep up the lie. Anna was surprised. Not just because she cares about Mateo’s family and can’t keep lying to them. Her feelings for Michael are strong, so she doesn’t want to keep lying to him either. Mateos return leads to even more drama. And we realize he sucks, and I’m glad that hotel room hookup never happened. As all Rom-Coms go, things come to a head. And the truth is finally revealed.
Once it’s all out in the open, we do get the expected HEA with Anna and Michael. Everything is wrapped up in a neat little predictable bow, and that’s just fine.
You, Me & Tuscany is a sweet and entertaining Rom-Com, but there isn’t necessarily anything that sets it apart from other Rom-Coms. I did love the cultural references. Like Anna being worried about her edges getting ruined by the sprinklers. And her cooking an Italian dish, but putting a spin on it using her mom’s recipe, which included grits. What matters most is that it followed the Rom-Com formula we all know and love.
When I went into this film, I had no expectations other than watching two actors that I love who look like me, fall in love. However, it seems Hollywood had some expectations of their own.
If you’ve been keeping up with the press surrounding You, Me & Tuscany, then you have probably heard the name Nina Lee. If you haven’t, let me fill you in. Nina Lee is a Black filmmaker in the midst of selling her own, Black-led romantic comedy titled That’s Her. In a post on “X” formerly Twitter, she mentioned that she had met with a studio that told her that they would not buy it until they saw You, Me & Tuscany. She also mentions that she met with an exec about a romance script and was told they won’t buy it until they see how You, Me & Tuscany does.
Do you see the problem here? I wish I could write a simple review about how much I enjoyed You, Me & Tuscany. But anti-Black Hollywood won’t allow me to do that. And as a Black woman, I feel it’s important to acknowledge the situation. There always seems to be these high expectations placed on us to do anything. As several people pointed out on Nina Lee’s post, white-led Rom-Coms have no problem being made. And even if it tanks at the box office, they still get to churn them out repeatedly. There is no “If this, then that” for them.
Lee has no ties to You, Me & Tuscany, yet the success of this film affects her projects. Something is unsettling about that.
It’s also unfair to the actors. Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page should be able to enjoy the experience. And what they were part of. But instead, it feels like if You, Me & Tuscany doesn’t do well, they must have done something wrong. They are both incredibly talented actors who shouldn’t have to prove themselves in this way.
The Goal Posts Are Always Moving
It’s mind-blowing that the goal posts are always moved when Black people are involved. Nina Lee isn’t alone in her struggle. I see several creatives having these conversations. Black authors who write just as well, if not sometimes better, are waiting years for their books to be adapted for the big screen. They are literally telling the same stories that white authors are telling, that we keep seeing on the big screen. The only difference is that the person behind it is Black. Meanwhile, one author in particular has already had four books adapted for the big screen.
People are going to gravitate to what they’re going to gravitate to. I only wish that Hollywood would acknowledge that there is more if they are willing to branch out. Too often, we hear “There’s just no audience for this.” But let me tell you, when I went to watch You, Me & Tuscany, there were several white people in the theater. I don’t think Hollywood executives are truly listening to the ones who are putting their money into the box office with our ticket purchases.
You’re probably thinking why do you make everything about race? But the better question is, why does Hollywood make everything about race? Those in power at the top are calling the shots and deciding what deserves funding. A vast majority of the time, race is a driving factor in the decision-making process. The situation with You, Me & Tuscany affecting whether another Black-led project gets the green light is the perfect example and only proves my point.
A lot is riding on the success of You, Me & Tuscany. The belief is that if the film does well, it will open the doors for more Black-led Rom-Coms. But if it doesn’t, does that then mean Hollywood is going to turn their back on them? It’s not like consumers haven’t already made their voices heard. People want to see themselves represented in all forms. And that’s why it’s so important to see You, Me & Tuscany. If you love a good Rom-Com with a lot of heart, then this is the film for you.
You, Me & Tuscany is available in theaters now.
