The moment I returned to my couch at home over spring break, my mom told me there was a movie I needed to watch. In my household, this is a regular occurrence. My mom sets a strict agenda for movies and TV shows that we’ll binge together in the short time we have over school breaks. When this moment presented itself once again, I thought nothing of it, but I had failed to account for my mom’s movie weaknesses: Italy.
In our regular movie rotation of about 25 movies, there are at least four I can name that take place in Italy. That is nearly one-fifth of the movies that are constantly playing in my household. And as I watched the film she wanted me to watch, “Solo Mio,” I found myself returning to the same question: what is it about the inherently romantic Italy that produces such B-list romance movies, and why do we love them?
Like a moth to a flame, Italy presents a romantic landscape. Perhaps we have William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” to thank for this cultural phenomenon. Maybe it’s the land itself, like the inherent romance of Rome’s chapels, the rolling Tuscan hills, renowned for the quality wine it produces, that hits every romantic checklist.
Italy is almost inherently Hallmarkian. Time slows, forcibly halting the hasty American imagination with dinners that can easily fill three hours. Wellbeing and family values are emphasized in place of the American rushed rat-race that promotes personal sacrifice. The merit of these sentiments is not up for debate, but the reception lies within the form, and the many romances set in Italy can struggle to display this difference of culture without feeling straight from Hallmark Channel.
In fact, the romantic draw of Italy can easily cheapen romance movies. The odds being overwhelmingly in Italy’s favor causes the table itself to teeter and collapse when the quality of the movie fails. And the quality of the movie will fail when a producer believes the appeal of Italy as a romance destination is enough to attract a crowd.
“Solo Mio” falls prey to just that. Italy does the heavy lifting of the film, merely by being the backdrop. The script, while presenting large caricatures of characters, does not allow the audience to invest in the relationship between the main character Matt Taylor — played by Kevin James — and his fiancee, showing only snippets of their relationship prior to his being left at the altar via opening montage. The friendship Taylor forms along the way are interesting, but by no means feel natural to real life. As the movie moves along, the cumulative marker of Taylor’s growth in Italy is defined by his relationship with an Italian local cafe owner in which he merely exists alongside her within Italy.
“Under the Tuscan Sun” follows a very similar premise of finding oneself in Italy after the failure of a relationship. Instead of how “Solo Mio” failed to launch, Frances, played by Diane Lane, is going through a tumultuous divorce with her husband after he cheats on her. The audience never even sees Frances’ husband, yet Lane’s performance presents the devastation evidently to the audience, tugging on heart strings effectively. Frances’ transformation in Italy focuses heavily on being within Italy, but she is actively working against problems and working towards a known goal.
The premises of both movies are eerily similar, calling upon comparison naturally. Placing the two movies against one another illustrates the most important point about these B-list rom-coms: B-list romances in Italy elevate to A-list when there is more at stake than simply being in Italy.
There is joy in watching a romance take root in a romantic place. I can judge these movies against ones of a better caliber, but that doesn’t take away from the real joy these movies deliver in their cheesy, wholesome way. Importantly, there is an apparent market for these movies, as seen by the releases of two Italy-based romance comedies — “You, Me & Tuscany” and “Solo Mio” — in a little over two months.
Must all B-list romances lead to Rome? Of course not. But, isn’t there magic in returning to a place to tell stories of love? As the genre of the classic 2000s romantic-comedy continues to taper off, people need romances they enjoy, even the shaky ones relying on Italy for appeal. The opportunity for a romantic escape should not be passed up on because it is not life-changing. These movies do not promise that, but what they do promise is equally important and necessary.
At the end of the day, I can’t blame my mom for loving B-list romance movies set in Italy. I am my mother’s daughter, and I kinda love them too.