IndieWire
A treacly slog with a screenplay that fails the storied talent of its elder lead, and the promising gifts of his younger counterpart.
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Made in Italy
Liam Neeson reunites with his Cold Pursuit co-star (and real-life son) Micheál Richardson for this breezy drama about a young man who, with the help of his father, attempts to fix up a neglected Tuscany house inherited from his late mother. The feature writing-directing debut of actor James D'Arcy (Dunkirk).
Renovations go badly, with father and son soon finding themselves at odds. Robert’s (Neeson) comical lack of DIY experience leads him to seek help from some colourful locals including the no nonsense Kate (Lindsay Duncan), an ex-pat making her living selling villas who quickly captures his attention.
For Jack (Richardson), the state of the house seems to mirror his search for memories of happier times with his mother. He soon falls for Natalia (Valeria Bilello), a vivacious young Italian chef, who restores both body and soul with delights from her local trattoria – until the pair find their developing relationship in jeopardy from Natalia’s jealous and threatening ex-husband.
As Robert and Jack painstakingly restore the villa to its previous glory, they also start to mend their relationship. The future may now look quite different and surprise them both.
Less2020Rating: M, Offensive language94 minsUK, Italy
Drama
- Director:
- James D'Arcy (feature debut)
- Writer:
- James D'Arcy
- Cast:
- Liam NeesonLindsay DuncanMicheál RichardsonValeria Bilello
Made in Italy | Reviews
45%82 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Rolling Stone
Liam Neeson and his real-life son Micheál Richardson bring a personal sense of love and loss to this otherwise mawkish tale of grief and healing, Italian style.
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The New York Times
For a movie that's supposedly meant to lift us off our couches and set us down in a verdant dreamscape, this limp foreign-soil fantasy from James D'Arcy doesn't come close to getting the job done.
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Los Angeles Times
With a gorgeous location, pretty people and familiar story... it's too gentle to make an impression
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Time Magazine
Some movies can get away with just being a scenery sandwich, a few fat slabs of gorgeous vistas with a sliver of plot slipped in between. Made in Italy is that kind of movie.
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Stuff
Honestly, if you're thinking of going, my advice would be to stay home with the people you love, get yourself a couple of sock puppets and drink a load of cheap wine fast.
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Variety
Mawkish and predictable, James D’Arcy’s filmmaking debut, about an estranged father and son, falls short of its melodramatic ambitions.
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Entertainment Weekly
It feels almost churlish to fault the film for its weightlessness, when light is exactly what movies like this are meant to provide: a fizzy, sun-drenched escape from the pale monotony of our own lives. Except that it so often fails to fizz...
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FilmInk
Very easy watching. It feels like classic European cinema with locations and food that will have you planning your next holiday… whenever that may be.
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