Your Basic African-Italian Romcom

 

Sometimes, movies are so inconsequential that I forget to post a review.  I was looking at my draft folder and noticed/was reminded that I saw this months ago.  Well, the review still works because you can now see it on Peacock.   If you want.  Or simply if you want to see why a romcom works.  Except for the leads, this is the template for thousands of other movies just like it.

Oddly enough, I sort of liked it.  While it's basically the same film you have seen dozens of times, it dares to be different by 1) setting it in Italy and 2) having the two leads be Black.   Because when did you ever expect to see a female Black chef working in the Tuscany area of Italy?  Indeed, the couple at the center of the film are played by likeable actors Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page and that anchors the film.   There's also a lot of inside jokes about Page when he has the requisite shirtless scene.   You sort of get that everybody here is having fun and that leads the audience to do just the same.  Filming in the actual location also adds to the likeability quotient.

As one who is dabbling in the world of romantic comedies, I reached out to this film to make sure the formula still works.   And it does almost by the page number.

Girl lives a double life posing as somebody she is not.  Check.

Supporting characters have all the snarky one-liners.  Check.

Two couples are mis-matched.  Check.

The situation gets worse before it gets better.  Check.

Male hero takes his shirt off.  As previously stated, check.

Yes, you see how this is all going to resolve it an hour before it does.   But the whole thing is like one of the bowls of pasta photographed.   It looks delicious and is the perfect comfort food.

At the end of the day, "romcom" is not the dirty word everybody makes it out to be.

LEN'S RATING:  Three stars.

Dinner last night:  Sandwich.