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La Dolce Villa is a romantic comedy film directed by Mark Waters from a screenplay co-written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy. The 2025 film follows Eric, a successful businessman who travels to Italy to stop her daughter from pouring all her savings into restoring a cheap Italian villa. Still, he soon falls in love with the laid-back lifestyle and a beautiful woman. La Dolce Villa stars Scott Foley, Violante Placido, Maia Reficco, and Giuseppe Futia. So, if you loved the laid-back vibes, romantic story, and charming characters in La Dolce Villa, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

A Good Year (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – 20th Century Studios

A Good Year is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Marc Klein. Based on the 2004 novel by author Peter Mayle,...

There are a bunch of heartwarming romance movies like Under the Tuscan Sun for fans to enjoy. Under the Tuscan Sun was adapted from Frances Mayes’ popular 1996 memoir of the same name by writer-director Audrey Wells. Diane Lane stars as Mayes, a recently divorced San Francisco writer who purchases a lavish villa in Tuscany in the hope that it will lead to some big changes in her life. Wells envisioned Under the Tuscan Sun (via San Francisco State University) as “a lush, classical romantic comedy whose point is that if you stop looking for love, love will find you.”

There are other movies about lovelorn characters leaving the big city behind and heading to a brighter locale, like A Good Year and Crazy Rich Asians. There are other movies about characters going on vacation to get away from it all and find true love, like Before Sunrise and Something’s Gotta Give.

Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe are one of Hollywood's most notable director-actor collaborators, but in addition to their universally praised masterpiece movies, they've also made critically panned, instantly forgettable duds. After receiving some of the best reviews of their respective careers for Gladiator, Scott and Crowe reunited and received some of their worst for the romantic comedy A Good Year. Their collaborations since then – the gritty crime biopic American Gangster, the stylish spy thriller Body of Lies, and the classical action-adventure Robin Hood – have been a mixed bag.

As proven by their initial partnership on Gladiator, Scott and Crowe are a match made in heaven. Ever since achieving back-to-back success with Alien and Blade Runner, Scott has been one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood. Meanwhile, roles in L.A. Confidential and The Insider had defined Crowe’s perfect combination of movie-star charisma and award-worthy acting chops. The gravitas...

Peter Mayle, the author of A Year In Provence and A Good Year — the latter the basis for Ridley Scott’s 2006 film — has died. The writer who was best known for chronicling his life as a British expat in the south of France passed away on Thursday after a short illness, his publisher Alfred A Knopf said. He was 78. A Year In Provence was published in 1989 and became an international bestseller and one of the most popular travel books of all time. It was later turned into a…...

Peter Mayle, the author of A Year In Provence and A Good Year — the latter the basis for Ridley Scott’s 2006 film — has died. The writer who was best known for chronicling his life as a British expat in the south of France passed away on Thursday after a short illness, his publisher Alfred A Knopf said. He was 78. A Year In Provence was published in 1989 and became an international bestseller and one of the most popular travel books of all time. It was later turned into a…...

The anticipation that has been building ever since Ridley Scott announced that he was planning some sort of ‘prequel’ to his much-loved space-thriller Alien is testament to the respect in which the British directing knight is held (he refuses to be addressed by Sir), and the grip the simple extra-galactic tale still has on the imagination.

But we’ve been here before – with George Lucas and Star Wars, remember, and that didn’t work out so well, so probably best to contain excitement until the final credit has rolled on the release of Prometheus this week.

Prometheus is no longer the prequel originally promised, but more a story “from the same universe”, whatever that means. And stars including Cameron Diaz have promised that both Alien fans and non-Alien fans (that’s everybody in the same universe then, according to my Venn diagram) “will not be disappointed”.

It all comes down to whether Ridley Scott,...

The internet may have made redundant the Victorian type of travel book, full of facts and figures, but it's a form of literature that can still thrive

'Hugh Grant loses his bookshop in Notting Hill" was the headline on an article that appeared last week in my local Spanish newspaper. International interest in London's Travel Bookshop (described as a tourist attraction comparable to Paris's Shakespeare and Company) is entirely due to its central role in a popular film promoting an engaging view of London and the British. In Britain, the news of the bookshop's closure has additional and more serious implications – for the future not only of similar independent establishments, but also, and no less importantly, of travel writing.

Travel writing today has an undoubtedly tarnished image. The casting of Hugh Grant in Notting Hill says much about popular preconceptions of the genre and its practitioners. It is a...

Pusan International Film Festival

BUSAN, South Korea -- Into the Faraway Sky (Toku no sora kara kieta) by commercial hitmaker Isao Yukisada ("Crying Out Love from the Center of the World," Spring Snow) is a joyous foray into childhood fantasies and school book ideals. Released in Japan during the summer vacation, the film targets the young and young at heart, and has a certain charm as a flimsy but fanciful fairytale with a soft-sell ecological message and excellent production values. Had the film been made as an anime in the style of Hayao Miyazaki, it would have even greater appeal beyond Asia.

The prelude and epilogue take place in an airport, and use the metaphor of flight to underline the film's theme of how firm belief can create miracles. Tokyo-born Ryonosuke (Ryunosuke Kamiki, The Great Yokai War) arrives in an unspecified country outpost slated for an airport construction project. That his dad is the state-appointed official assigned to carry out this operation against the inhabitants' wishes doesn't help his popularity rating at school. In spite of that, he befriends milk delivery boy Kohei (Yuuma Sasano), the son of an eccentric biologist who has gone missing for years.

Through the rambunctious Kohei, sensitive Ryonosuke meets a gallery of colorful locals, such as Hiharu (Susuka Onyo), a girl who thinks she can communicate with UFOs; their teacher Sawako, who is engaged to a nerd but secretly in love with a romantic moon-gazer and inventor of a flying contraption (a charismatic cameo by Taiwanese actor Chang Chen); Akahoshi, the village idiot obsessed with pigeons; local roughie Toma; and Michiko, owner of a saloon resembling the set of Sukiyaki Western Django.

For the greater half of the film, the characters and the plot ramble on in a nonchalant manner. Toilet humor abounds, from gags about stool samples to a rumble in the cesspit to the boys' prank of planting sparklers in cow dung. This could be a test of patience for all but the most juvenile audiences.

Fortunately, the pace picks up when Kohei's dad Shinpei returns from an odyssey of rescuing endangered species to spearhead the village's protest. It turns out that the two boys' dads date way back, clarifying the psychological motives of the two grown-ups' antithetical actions. What appeared initially to be loose vignettes actually fall neatly into place at the surprise ending.

Despite its self-conscious artificiality, Yukisada has evoked the villagers' bucolic existence with considerable panache. This is no Japanese Hicksville of the Nobuhiro Yamashita variety. The locations are a picturesque cross between the Wild West and Provence, while characters seem to jump out of pages from a Peter Mayle or Marcel Pagnol novel. The music, like the costumes and sets, are an eclectic mix of Gipsy, jazz/rag, Celtic windpipe and French harmonica. Together with the theme song by Okinawa group COCCO they give the film much of its magic realist quality and oomph.

INTO THE FARAWAY SKY

Rumble Fish/Second Sight/Gaga Communications

Credits:

Director-screenwriter: Isao Yukisada

Producers: Shunsuke Kogo, Hilo Iizumi

Executive producer: Yasuhide Uno

Co-executive producer: Yuka Hoshino

Director of photography: Jun Fukumoto

Production designer: Shu Yamaguchi

Music: Meyna

Costume designer: Sachiko Ito

Editor: Tsuyoshi Imai

Cast:

Ryonosuke Kusunoki: Ryunosuke Kamiki

Kohei Tsuchida: Sasano Yuma

Hiharu: Suzuka Ohgo

Shinpei Tsuchida: Kohinaka Fumio

Sawako: Ayumi Ito

Running time -- 144 minutes

No MPAA rating...

Poor Will Ferrell. The popular comedic actor and proven boxoffice draw has taken a big risk with Stranger Than Fiction. Playing against type as Harold Crick, a sad sack who hears voices in his head, Ferrell has received high marks in early reviews, as have co-stars Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. But a little movie called Borat is likely to steal the thunder from Ferrell and Fiction. 20th Century Fox's Borat -- on its way to becoming a comedic phenomenon considering its stellar opening bow of $26 million from just 837 theaters -- has created something of a black hole for all other films bowing this weekend.

Expanding to 2,566 theaters today, Borat also is likely to eat up some of the grosses that would have gone to Fox's new entry, Ridley Scott's A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe. Industry insiders are pegging the second-week grosses for Borat in the $30 million range. Coming off a phenomenal first-weekend bow that saw a per-theater average of $31,607, the R-rated film surely will dominate the boxoffice. Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who has been likened to a modern-day combination of Peter Sellers and Andy Kaufman, Borat's midweek numbers have remained strong, averaging

$3 million each day.

That's not to say that Sony Pictures isn't trying with Fiction. Directed by Marc Forster and based on a screenplay by Zach Helm, the film won early accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Bowing in 2,264 theaters, the PG-13 film centers on Crick, an IRS auditor who suddenly finds that his thoughts and actions are being narrated by a voice in his head. Praised for its smart script and strong performances, the film could open decently and hold on through a crowded end-of-year moviegoing season. Insiders are predicting the film will bow in the $8 million-$10 million range but could get into the low teens.

That's about the same number many are predicting for A Good Year. Crowe also plays against type as a romantic lead in the PG-13 drama set in Provence, France. Opening in 2,066 theaters, the Fox 2000 film centers on a high-powered British trader (Crowe) who learns that his uncle has left him a vineyard in France. Year, which co-stars Albert Finney, Freddie Highmore and Archie Panjabi, is based on the novel written by Scott's friend and Provence neighbor Peter Mayle. It evokes similar themes to Buena Vista's Under the Tuscan Sun, which bowed to $9.7 million in 2003. Expect similar numbers for the beautifully photographed Year.

Focus Features will open Rogue Pictures' The Return in 1,986 theaters. Starring horror queen Sarah Michelle Gellar, the PG-13 film from Asif Kapadia (The Warrior) centers on a woman who is troubled by vivid nightmares about the murder of a woman she has never met. It is expected to bow to single-digit millions.

MGM is going to be busy this weekend. The distributor will open Bauer Martinez's Harsh Times in 956 theaters. A high-profile acquisition out of last year's Toronto fest, the film comes from Training Day screenwriter David Ayer, making his directorial debut, and stars Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez. The gritty, R-rated drama centers on an Iraq War vet (Bale) who, upon being turned down for a job with the LAPD, recruits his childhood friend (Rodriguez) for a joyride through Los Angeles. Eva Longoria co-stars.

MGM also will open Copying Beethoven in limited release. The PG-13 film, from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, stars Ed Harris as the composer in the last year of his life. Agnieszka Holland directs, and Diane Kruger co-stars.

Picturehouse will open Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus on four screens in Los Angeles and New York. The film from director Steven Shainberg (Secretary) stars Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr.

Poor Will Ferrell. The popular comedic actor and proven boxoffice draw has taken a big risk with "Stranger Than Fiction".

Playing against type as Harold Crick, a sad sack who hears voices in his head, Ferrell has received high marks in early reviews, as have co-stars Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. But a little movie called "Borat" is likely to steal the thunder from Ferrell and "Fiction". 20th Century Fox's "Borat" -- on its way to becoming a comedic phenomenon considering its stellar opening bow of $26 million from just 837 theaters -- has created something of a black hole for all other films bowing this weekend.

Expanding to 2,566 theaters today, "Borat" also is likely to eat up some of the grosses that would have gone to Fox's new entry, Ridley Scott's "A Good Year", starring Russell Crowe. Industry insiders are pegging the second-week grosses for "Borat" in the $30 million range. Coming off a phenomenal first-weekend bow that saw a per-theater average of $31,607, the R-rated film surely will dominate the boxoffice. Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who has been likened to a modern-day combination of Peter Sellers and Andy Kaufman, "Borat"'s midweek numbers have remained strong, averaging

$3 million each day.

That's not to say that Sony Pictures isn't trying with "Fiction". Directed by Marc Forster and based on a screenplay by Zach Helm, the film won early accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Bowing in 2,264 theaters, the PG-13 film centers on Crick, an IRS auditor who suddenly finds that his thoughts and actions are being narrated by a voice in his head. Praised for its smart script and strong performances, the film could open decently and hold on through a crowded end-of-year moviegoing season. Insiders are predicting the film will bow in the $8 million-$10 million range but could get into the low teens.

That's about the same number many are predicting for "A Good Year". Crowe also plays against type as a romantic lead in the PG-13 drama set in Provence, France. Opening in 2,066 theaters, the Fox 2000 film centers on a high-powered British trader (Crowe) who learns that his uncle has left him a vineyard in France. "Year", which co-stars Albert Finney, Freddie Highmore and Archie Panjabi, is based on the novel written by Scott's friend and Provence neighbor Peter Mayle. It evokes similar themes to Buena Vista's "Under the Tuscan Sun", which bowed to $9.7 million in 2003. Expect similar numbers for the beautifully photographed "Year".

Focus Features will open Rogue Pictures' "The Return" in 1,986 theaters. Starring horror queen Sarah Michelle Gellar, the PG-13 film from Asif Kapadia ("The Warrior") centers on a woman who is troubled by vivid nightmares about the murder of a woman she has never met. It is expected to bow to single-digit millions.

MGM is going to be busy this weekend. The distributor will open Bauer Martinez's "Harsh Times" in 956 theaters. A high-profile acquisition out of last year's Toronto fest, the film comes from "Training Day" screenwriter David Ayer, making his directorial debut, and stars Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez. The gritty, R-rated drama centers on an Iraq War vet (Bale) who, upon being turned down for a job with the LAPD, recruits his childhood friend (Rodriguez) for a joyride through Los Angeles. Eva Longoria co-stars.

MGM also will open "Copying Beethoven" in limited release. The PG-13 film, from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, stars Ed Harris as the composer in the last year of his life. Agnieszka Holland directs, and Diane Kruger co-stars.

Picturehouse will open "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus" on four screens in Los Angeles and New York. The film from director Steven Shainberg ("Secretary") stars Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr.

Marion Cotillard has signed to star opposite Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year, based on the novel by Peter Mayle. Tom Hollander also will join the cast, which includes Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart and Didier Bourdon. Scripted by Marc Klein, the film is about failed London banker Max Skinner (Crowe), who moves to Provence, France, to tend a vineyard he inherited from his uncle (Finney). There, he encounters Cotillard's character, a beautiful California woman who says she is a long-lost cousin and lays claim to the property. Hollander plays a pompous, scheming real estate broker. Cotillard, a French actress best known for her roles in Tim Burton's Big Fish and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement, also stars in Abel Ferrara's Mary, set to hit the Venice-Deauville-Toronto circuit next month.

Marion Cotillard has signed to star opposite Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year, based on the novel by Peter Mayle. Tom Hollander also will join the cast, which includes Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart and Didier Bourdon. Scripted by Marc Klein, the film is about failed London banker Max Skinner (Crowe), who moves to Provence, France, to tend a vineyard he inherited from his uncle (Finney). There, he encounters Cotillard's character, a beautiful California woman who says she is a long-lost cousin and lays claim to the property. Hollander plays a pompous, scheming real estate broker. Cotillard, a French actress best known for her roles in Tim Burton's Big Fish and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement, also stars in Abel Ferrara's Mary, set to hit the Venice-Deauville-Toronto circuit next month.

Fox 2000 has grape expectations for Albert Finney. The actor has signed on to join Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year for the studio. Based on the novel by Peter Mayle, A Good Year centers on Max Skinner (Crowe), a London financier who quits the rat race after inheriting a vineyard in the south of France. Finney will play Henry Skinner, Crowe's uncle and one-time owner of the property. The female lead, who will play Finney's long-lost daughter, has yet to be cast.

Fox 2000 has grape expectations for Albert Finney. The actor has signed on to join Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year for the studio. Based on the novel by Peter Mayle, A Good Year centers on Max Skinner (Crowe), a London financier who quits the rat race after inheriting a vineyard in the south of France. Finney will play Henry Skinner, Crowe's uncle and one-time owner of the property. The female lead, who will play Finney's long-lost daughter, has yet to be cast.

Russell Crowe is going from the boxing ring to the vineyards of France. The actor is in discussions to star in Ridley Scott's next directorial effort, A Good Year, for Fox 2000. Adapted from a Peter Mayle novel by Marc Klein (Serendipity), Good Year follows a London banker who moves to Provence after inheriting a vineyard. But when he arrives, he meets a California woman who claims that she owns the place. Scott is producing through his Scott Free Prods. The film has a tentative September start date in Paris.

Russell Crowe is going from the boxing ring to the vineyards of France. The actor is in discussions to star in Ridley Scott's next directorial effort, A Good Year, for Fox 2000. Adapted from a Peter Mayle novel by Marc Klein (Serendipity), Good Year follows a London banker who moves to Provence after inheriting a vineyard. But when he arrives, he meets a California woman who claims that she owns the place. Scott is producing through his Scott Free Prods. The film has a tentative September start date in Paris.

Russell Crowe is going from the boxing ring to the vineyards of France. The actor is in discussions to star in Ridley Scott's next directorial effort, A Good Year, for Fox 2000. Adapted from a Peter Mayle novel by Marc Klein (Serendipity), Good Year follows a London banker who moves to Provence after inheriting a vineyard. But when he arrives, he meets a California woman who claims that she owns the place. Scott is producing through his Scott Free Prods. The film has a tentative September start date in Paris.

Russell Crowe is going from the boxing ring to the vineyards of France. The actor is in discussions to star in Ridley Scott's next directorial effort, A Good Year, for Fox 2000. Adapted from a Peter Mayle novel by Marc Klein (Serendipity), Good Year follows a London banker who moves to Provence after inheriting a vineyard. But when he arrives, he meets a California woman who claims that she owns the place. Scott is producing through his Scott Free Prods. The film has a tentative September start date in Paris.