Made in Italy (2020) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: James D’Arcy
Written by: James D’Arcy
Starring: Liam Neeson, Micheál Richardson, Valeria Bilello, Lindsay Duncan
Runtime: 120 min
Synopsis: A heart-warming father-son story set in glorious Tuscany about bohemian London artist Robert (Liam Neeson), who returns to Italy with his estranged son Jack (Micheál Richardson) to make a quick sale of the house they inherited from his late wife. Neither expects to find the once beautiful villa in such a state of disrepair... Renovations go badly, with father and son soon finding themselves at odds.
Coincidence or not, but the latest movies I've seen are all from debutant directors and/or writers. James D'Arcy, who most people will recognize from the MCU as Edwin Jarvis, leaves the acting to Liam Neeson and his real-life son, Micheál Richardson, and occupies both the director and writer's chairs for the very first time (at least in a feature film). It's also Micheál's acting debut, who chose to share the screen with his father in what became a personal project of theirs. D'Arcy's screenplay connected with both actors in an emotional way (Neeson's wife also died from an accident when Micheál was young, just like in the movie's narrative), and this contributes to the best component of the whole film.
Neeson and Micheál's chemistry is palpable, genuine, and extremely compelling. Every dialogue sequence between the two feels incredibly real and heartfelt, especially one in the third act, in a two-minute uncut take, where both deliver one of the most emotional conversations of this year. Micheál is still rough around the edges, his range needs improvement, but it's a really good debut. On the other hand, Neeson actually surprised me. I've become so used to his repetitive action roles that I forgot how great an actor he truly is. Fantastic performance from an actor who sadly doesn't have an Oscar yet (he still has time to steal a statue in the next few years).
The remaining actors are also quite decent, but the focus goes entirely to the father-son relationship. Robert and Jack are easy characters to connect with. Tons of viewers went through the same experience, handling grief and sadness in the same way as each character. Even Micheál apparently dealt with his real-life mother's death similarly to Jack's, so anyone will be able to witness how real this movie is to the main actors. Unfortunately, this is the only big compliment I can give to the entire flick…
The Italian landscape is gorgeous, the cultural environment is well-established, and the film itself is well-shot. Technically, it's as beautiful as Tuscany allows it to be (which is a lot). However, D'Arcy's screenplay is just a collection of cliches, formulas, stereotypes, and predictable plot points that literally hundreds of other movies in the genre already own. It doesn't bring anything remotely new to the table, much on the contrary. Ten minutes in, there's no doubt of what will happen to each character and how the story will unravel. The short runtime helps, but it's still a tad boring to watch an entire film knowing everything that will occur without the slightest deviation.
Even an unnecessary romance is created, and honestly, it's the worst aspect of all. It just doesn't belong in the story, and it steals screentime that could have been used to further enhance the primary storyline. Characters go through a dull cycle of restoring the house a bit, arguing about stuff that doesn't really impact the narrative, receiving annoying, almost caricatural buyers that don't buy the house, and repeat until the very end. Regarding the father-son relationship, their conversations are too superficial and generic (except for that last scene I already mentioned). There's even a moment where Jack gets drunk without explanation (in one cut he's fine, in the next one he's completely out of himself) and "attacks" his father. Where have I seen this before?!
Final Thoughts
In the end, Made in Italy has indeed an emotionally compelling father-son story that many viewers will surely connect with, but James D'Arcy's directorial and screenplay debut is not going to be remembered for long. Packed with the usual cliches and generic plot points, nothing about the narrative feels unique or different in any way, much on the contrary. Predictable from the get-go without any sort of deviation, making the short runtime feel like it's a bit too long. However, Liam Neeson and his real-life son, Micheál Richardson, share a genuine bond that only a true father-son relationship can possess. The actors went through the exact same experience as the characters they portray, making their performances incredibly sincere. The beauty of Tuscany and the Italian culture also improve the overall look of the movie, which displays some terrific landscapes. It's a sweet Sunday afternoon flick to watch with the family, but nothing more.
