"You, Me & Tuscany" is a charming rom com that will have you ready to book a flight.

Photos Courtsey of Universal Pictures

Mega-producer Will Packer continues his successful relationship with Universal Pictures with the charming romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany”. Kat Coiro directs the film from a script written by Ryan Engle.

After the death of her mother, aspiring chef Anna (Halle Bailey) lost her passion for cooking and became a housesitter, living vicariously through the lives of her wealthy clients. One day, after visiting her best friend Claire (Aziza Scott) and hoping to get a free room at the hotel where Claire works, she meets charming Italian businessman Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor).

The two hit it off, having an enjoyable evening, and Matteo casually mentions the villa he owns and that she should visit sometime. Misunderstanding his kindness, Anna makes the bold decision to travel to Tuscany, where a series of mishaps leads to Matteo’s family thinking that Anna is his fiancée. As the family takes a liking to her and welcomes her with open arms, she soon finds herself drawn to Matteo’s cousin Michael (Regé-Jean Page). Will Anna come clean or let the lie marinate so she can get her happy ending?

From the moment I saw the trailer for “You, Me & Tuscany”, I instantly thought of the 1995 romantic comedy “While You Were Sleeping”. Engle’s script follows that film’s template to a T, hitting many of the same plot beats, and, like that film, it works on the strength of our leads.

Halle Bailey took a somewhat different path after her breakthrough in “The Little Mermaid,” focusing on motherhood, music, and supporting roles. She brings a whimsical joy to Anna, making her character easy to root for. The chemistry with the family is natural, as is her chemistry with Regé-Jean Page.

Like Bailey, after breaking out in the first season of Bridgerton, Regé-Jean Page avoided being typecast as a sex symbol or romantic lead, choosing to showcase his talent across other genres. Page brings confident swagger to Michael and actually has some depth. The script doesn’t reduce him to a simp trope but just a man who sees the good in a woman he knows he shouldn’t develop feelings for.

The rest of the supporting cast is also strong, and kudos to the casting department for using real Italian actors to add an extra layer of authenticity. It was also great to see Aziza Scott on screen again after her scene-stealing moments in last year’s “One of Them Days”.

The only real gripe I had with the film is the lack of a soundtrack like they used to do in the nineties for romantic comedies with melanin leads. I would’ve loved some original music from the next crop of R&B stars serving as background music. However, Bailey brings so much charm to Anna, I’ll allow it.

Final grade: B

“You, Me & Tuscany” is in theaters now.