A father-daughter duo who were distanced from each other post the mother’s death are brought back together as the adventurous daughter decides that she wants to buy a new house for one Euro in Italy. La Dolce Villa is nothing revolutionary, but it’s a slightly unconventional plotline where the father’s love life is in the limelight more than the young daughter’s. The middle aged man, Eric (played ever so charmingly by Eric Scott) has drowned himself in work to deal with the pain of losing his wife. There is a naturally resulting distance from his daughter too, until he is forced to come to Italy and possibly stop her from buying a house simply because she feels like it.
Of course, instead of stopping her, Eric ends up going house shopping with her, refurnishing the old ruin that they end up purchasing, discovering hidden gems in the establishment, finding a purpose to put the property to good use, falling in love with the essence of Italy, and falling in love with the Mayor who aids them through the whole process. Both of them- Eric and Francesca (the mayor) are finding love again after going through a heartbreak and in their middle age. The mature kind of love is a fresh take to watch in rom-coms and I liked how La Dolce Villa utilizes many elements of Italy to bring the two of them closer in a natural, grounded way. They explore the places, food, and even a little bit of bureaucracy of the country through well written circumstances. The movie provides a tour of Tuscany in Italy and calls it Montezara, a fictional town struggling financially for the betterment of which the Mayor strives hard. Eric and his daughter (Olivia) become a part of her journey in ways more than just romantic and hence La Dolce Villa becomes a multi-dimensional movie.
The movie sure is an aesthetic delight with the setup being carefully chosen locations of Tuscany. The director has made it a point to blend the simple storyline with the backdrop of the essence of Italy which naturally enriched the whole experience. The film flows with a natural grace throughout and makes for an easy watch.
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