A free-spirited young woman, Anna (Halle Bailey), gets fired from her housesitting job when the owner finds her wearing her clothes and assuming her life. She meets travelling businessman Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor) in a bar, and when she finds out he is from Tuscany, a place she has always wanted to visit, Anna decides to go there. Unable to find accommodation, she gains entry into Matteo’s empty villa and when his family discover her there, she pretends she is engaged to him. But then she meets Matteo’s cousin Michael (Regé-Jean Page)…
Nearly all romantic comedies these days are made for TV channels like Hallmark or for streaming services, so it is a rarity for one to get a cinema release. The last one that made a splash was Anyone But You. Whilst that was derivative, it had genuine stars in the leads and enough funny moments to overcome the predictability of the story. Bailey and Page are fine, if lacking that star wattage, and make a nice enough couple, but they have very little to work with. The plot unfolds in exactly the way you would expect, and the supporting cast is almost entirely made up of over bearing cultural stereotypes.
A decent amount of rom but precious little com.
Rating: 5 out of 10