AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: David Vaughn on June 29, 2026, 04:39:36 PM
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(https://i.imgur.com/UmnI2Kz.jpeg)
Studio: Universal
Release Date: June 16, 2026
Rating: PG-13
Film: 3/5
Plot
A romantic comedy about one little lie, one large Italian villa, and two people getting lost in the sauce of love. Impersonating a man’s fiancée while crashing at his home in Italy becomes a big problem for Anna (Halle Bailey) when she falls for the man’s cousin (Regé-Jean Page), and the heat between them ignites a fire that will transform her life.
My Thoughts
Every now and again, you must please the missus and request/watch a movie that you would otherwise skip. That’s the case here with this romantic comedy that my wife wanted to watch and had to drag me kicking and screaming into the room. Overall, it’s not a bad movie, although the first act is a little rough. Anna’s character isn’t very likable and comes across as a spoiled brat, but as the film moves along you get a deeper look at her motives and history that begin to overcome her obvious flaws.
Bailey’s chemistry with Page is what makes the film work and her interactions with the family did provide quite a few laughs. When it was over, my wife liked it more than I did (shocking, I know!), and it even made her weepy when the story was concluding. Thankfully, the film didn’t have this impact on me or else I’d be turning in my man card post haste!
The 1080p/AVC transfer looks very good for a romantic comedy. The image is clean and clear with excellent sharpness throughout. Colors are bright and accurate, particularly the gorgeous Tuscan landscapes — the rolling hills, golden sunlight, vineyards, and charming village all pop beautifully. Skin tones are natural and black levels are solid. While not reference-level (as expected for this type of mid-budget film), it’s a very pleasing and attractive presentation.
As is standard for a romantic comedy, the mix is mostly front-loaded with clear, intelligible dialogue that sits nicely in the center channel. The surrounds are used sparingly for ambient environmental sounds (birds, wind in the trees, light background chatter), but at least the soundtrack opens up the dynamics during the musical montages.. The score has good separation and warmth, and the overall mix feels balanced and pleasant without any harshness or distortion.
Video 4.5/5
Audio 4/5 (Dolby TrueHD 7.1)
Special Features:
- You & Me
- Racing Through Tuscany
- La Famiglia
- Taste of Italy
- Going Green in Italy
- Feature Commentary with director Kat Coiro and Producer Will Packer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kuFgvohIU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kuFgvohIU)
Conclusion
I have to admit that I didn’t hate this movie, but it’s about what you’d expect from the genre and doesn’t break any new ground. The presentation is very pleasing and if you’re looking for something that will entertain your wife and score some brownie points, then be sure to queue this one up and power through it like I did.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(I utilized Portrait Displays' (https://www.portrait.com/) Calman color calibration software)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Zidoo UHD8000 Media Player
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
Mini DSP HD
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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Rom com huh. Did you request this or did they just send it ;)
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Rom com huh. Did you request this or did they just send it ;)
Sent it, but my wife opened the package before I could get to it. She said, "Ooh, I know what we're watching tonight." And the rest is history :D
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Greetings,
Thanks Dave. I passed....
Regards,
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Greetings,
Thanks Dave. I passed....
Regards,
It was watchable, but Lori liked it much better than I did.