La Dolce Villa

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. !!

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.

From the trailer you can already tell the story and feeling you will get from this movie. It is a cute charming movie for the whole 'familia'. Sure, with a foreseeable storyline and few bumps on the path of realism or logic, but overall the story checks out. The characters and actors fit quite well and manage to attract interest, they are a bit cliché - ok a lot of cliché, still, they are charming. This feels like a short and sweet Italian vacation at the countryside. Dont watch if you feel already grumpy before watching - let the grumpy character be the mysterious man that left the villa. This is a movie to relax and feel a bit of dolce far niente. And I typically avoid spoilers in my reviews at all cost but... here I will make a tiny exception to the rule: make sure to have a warm pizza ready for the end of this cute movie. Buon appetito!

Kinda feel like they just follow a recipe of how to make a romantic comedy. It's a nice movie, but maybe too many stereotypes of what could be a romantic comedy. Like, they could be more subtle.

Also, do they have issues with the camera? Why are some can characters shaded in some scenes? Like the grandmas waving? They didn't see that in post-editing?

At least, you see beautiful sceneries of Italy. It made me want to buy one house for 1 euro and move there today.

Italy definitely has the vibe they portray.

Overall, it is a good movie to pass the time on Valentine's day with your significant other.

Easy film to watch with spectacular scenery. The cast gelled well and although a little formulaic the story ran well. Nice to hear the native Italian tongue in amongst the English too.

Scott Foley carries the main lead well and Violante Placido is perfect in her role as town mayor. Some scenes are poignant, without too much schmaltz and there are essences of comedy thrown in too, with the three ladies who sit in the town square. But it is the scenery that really steals the show and makes the movie very watchable.

I would definitely watch this film again and would put it in my "easy watching" category.