I really like James D'Arcy. The actor has made a gentle but deeply felt impression in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Edwin Jarvis, the Stark family butler, in Agent Carter and Avengers: Endgame. Now, the man moves behind the camera with his directorial debut, and judging by the trailer, he's made a gentle but deeply felt film in Made in Italy.
Set among the beautiful landscapes of, well, Italy, Liam Neeson stars as the father of an estranged son, Micheál Richardson (Cold Pursuit, Neeson's actual son!). The two must reunite (a tad begrudgingly) to renovate and sell a house that belonged to Neeson's late wife, but find the house to be in a state of absolute disrepair. Can they fix up the home, find new beginnings with the locals (including Valeria Bilello), and potentially mend their relationship along the way?
It all looks to be rendered in a relatively low-stakes matter -- all for the better. Even in its sparse sound editing, the trailer shows off a gentle, ambling charm that highlights the humanity and relatability of the story well (even if, perhaps, not many people can relate to the struggle of "our beautiful house in beautiful Italy isn't great!"). If you wished that Under the Tuscan Sun had more of a masculine point of view, Made in Italy will be the movie for you.
Check out the trailer and synopsis for Made in Italy below. The film opens in theaters and on demand August 7, 2020. For more on Mr. Neeson, here's our interview with the man for the wonderful Ordinary Love.
MADE IN ITALY is 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. Robert’s 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, 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.