La dolce casa

The Italians welcome and support productions, like this one, that advertise their place in the best way. Landscapes, Villages, Food, Warm human relationships, at their best. Foreign visitors, usually busy businessmen and cut off from the warmth of everyday life, finally find their love in the cinematic representation of a country's excellence and its people. As for the film, it was a pleasant and comforting entertainment that also included the whole recipe; the daughter with the worried-ready-for-love father, the local grandmothers at the fountain, the handsome young cook (Italian food and wine is a must) and the local beautiful Italian mayor available for love. I admit the Italians and bow to their timeless skill in attracting scripts that advertise their country in the best way. !!

Let's begin with Scott Foley, the lead actor. His performance is drier and more wooden than an old door in a clapped out one-euro Italian villa. He seems like he's in a hurry to catch a plane in every scene, so, trying to get through his lines as quickly as possible, with the only expression he can muster, that of a surprised deer in the headlights. Violante Placido, the stunning Italian actress that plays Eric's love interest, was woefully directed, and the same goes for Maia Reficco, who plays his daughter. They seem to be capable of much more.

The script and dialogue is painfully predictable, formulaic and cringefully cheesy. On more than once occasion, I blurted out the dialogue almost word-for-word just before it was delivered. Eric's (Scott Foley) character is underdeveloped, touching a bit on the hackneyed stereotype of the culturally insensitive and arrogant American abroad.

The pacing is all wrong, and never changes, always feeling hurried and never allowing time for any of the character's emotions to absorb, much like a commercial. This is especially ironic for a movie about leaving the big city behind for the slow paced life of the Italian countryside.

The warm organic beauty of the scenery and sets were the only thing that kept me from fast forwarding through the film.

This genre was done a hundreds types better 22 years ago by Diane Lane in 'Under The Tuscan Sun'.

Scott Foley should find another line of work.

I started watching this, but couldn't stomach seeing it to the end. I'm American living in Europe for 55 years. I speak Italian and other languages, and visit Italy frequently. This movie is typical naive American cliché kitsch. The dialogue is full of American "New Speak" slang and cultural references that hardly anyone in Italy understands - I have trouble with it too. The protagonist is not there to admire and embrace millennia of culture, but rather, to spread the American obsession with turning everything into a business enterprise. I can't imagine any European giving this movie the thumbs-up. I can't.

Overall, it was a sweet family movie. First of all cinematography is very good, like all Italian movies it makes you fall in love with Italy. The main focus in this movie for me was the relationship between father and daughter, I love how they showed their dynamics and the development of their relationship and trust between them during the movie. The movie looks like the very good advertisement for Italy, its food and people, they really focused on those aspects. This is movie is also about the second love story in the middle ages, also Giovanni and Olivia were soo cute together such a cute chemistry between them.

Step into Italy with warm scenic beauty, golden sunshine, and charming Edwardian-era architecture. La Dolce Villa is the most relaxing escape you can indulge in right now-it's sweet, tender, and as aromatic as an authentic Italian café.

I have to appreciate the film's underlying social message about Italian village properties being auctioned for just one euro. It adds a layer of depth to the story, making it more than just a picturesque getaway.

Story-wise, it's fine, but I really admire the craftsmanship and construction makeover that went into bringing the old villa back to life. Imagine giving a story to those satisfying room makeover videos on youtube. If you're looking for a decent film to enjoy while preparing a cozy meal, this is it.

I'll go with a 7/10 for this one-it's like a warm hug.