It’s time for another double-review post. I figure I combine them together as both are romantic stories set in Italy… wonderful escapist entertainment to chase the early Winter blues!

Rosaline* (2022)

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Honestly, who cares where Romeo is when there’s a spunky and fun Rosaline! This is the first time I saw Kaitlyn Dever in anything and she’s a lot of fun to watch. Now, I’m not a purist so I welcome a retelling of classic literary work so long as they know what to do with it (unlike this ghastly Austen adaptation). It’s quite refreshing to see the oft-told tragic romance from the perspective of Romeo’s jilted ex that’s currently streaming on Hulu.

This movie is both an homage and a spoof of Shakespeare’s classic tale of Romeo & Juliet and it imagines what ‘happily ever after’ really looks like, ahah. I could do without Rosaline getting a romantic interest but Sean Teale is oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes that I enjoyed even the occasional clichéd banter. Overall I had fun with this movie and Karen Maine‘s direction is lively and upbeat. I adore the beautiful Tuscan scenery, I always appreciate movies filmed on location. The costumes and set pieces are wonderful to look at, too!

A Chance Encounter (2022)

Not going to lie, I was intrigued to watch this movie for the beautiful Italian scenery. The promise of a romantic escape about an aspiring poet and a folk singer’s unexpected encounter sounds enchanting, but in the end, the Sicilian town of Taormina remains the best thing about this movie.

I quite like Andrea von Kampen‘s folk music, but the interaction between her and Paul Petersen (who co-wrote the script with director Alexander Jeffery) lacks sparks or warmth, it even comes across as awkward at times. Petersen has a likable presence and at times he reminds me of Chris Pratt (for better or worse), and von Kampen’s singing is way more convincing than her acting. The ending is pretty sweet but it seemed to take forever to get there even though the movie is only an hour and a half long. It does make me want to visit Taormina though, another one for my bucket list!

Have you seen either one of these movies? Let me know what you think!

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