After being in quarantine for several months, we all could go for a little trip, right?! Well, now you can! Take a trip to the stunning region of Tuscany (all in the comfort and safety of your own home) by watching IFC Films’ extraordinary, new movie, Made in Italy. This superb film, revolving around a heartfelt father and son story, stars real life father and son, the great and profound Liam Neeson and the uber talented Micheál Richardson. Directed by James D’arcy, Made in Italy is a phenomenal film that viewers will want to watch over and over again.
Made in Italy “is a heart-warming father / son story set in glorious Tuscany about bohemian London artist Robert (Neeson), who returns to Italy with his estranged son Jack (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” (source: IFC Films).
From delicious Italian food that will truly make your mouth water to the breathtakingly beautiful and picturesque scenery of Tuscany, Made in Italy is a marvelous and unforgettable trip worth taking. The wonderful movie has a countless amount of touching moments that are bound to bring tears to your eyes.
In a Q&A discussion moderated by film critic, Scott Mantz, during the fantastic virtual premiere for Made in Italy, the prolific Liam Neeson talked about what drew him towards the stellar project.
“I read the script and it passed my cup of tea test and that test is if I get to page seven and I think, ‘wow, I got to make a cup of tea’,” said Neeson. “I read it from cover to cover as [director] James D’arcy said. I did find it very moving and touching and incredibly relatable, of course. I also felt a little bit scared and I thought, well, those are good emotions to have. Especially, because for the past number of years I’ve been going around with various guns killing various bad guys in various silly movies. And, this just touched me and I thought, I wanted to meet James. I knew who he was as an actor, but we had never met…”
“A lot of the time that Micheál and I spent together, in my memory, it wasn’t really auditioning, it was talking about, obviously there are parallels with his own life, and I lost a parent when I was very young, which bleeds into the script, and I wanted to be really sure that Micheál knew what he was about to step into and that he would be able to do it,” said writer and director James D’arcy. “This is meant to be a hopeful movie and I didn’t want to traumatize a young actor in the process of making it, so I had a huge responsibility towards him there. The other thing is, when we met and when I said to Liam, ‘I really think Micheál can do it,’ I then was in New York and the three of us met and we said let’s do it, and Liam said, ‘let’s do it next April,’ and we shook hands and we made it next April. There’s obviously a lot of things you have to do to get an A-list movie star to be in your tiny movie and Liam moved all of those mountains and we shot it next April because of the handshake, and I couldn’t be more grateful to him because of that.”
Micheál Richardson talked about how joining the moving film was like a sign from his beloved mother. He said, “Initially, the first conversation with dad was very brief. I believe it was over the phone, I remember it being in person. He came to me and said, ‘I’ve got this script, I think there’s something in it for you, it’s pretty special.’ He had this tone in his voice and I said, ‘Okay, what’s this going to be?’ I read it and that summer, we were going through a lot of things. We had to let go of a family home that my grandfather had back in the 50s, where my mom grew up, where I grew up going. We read this that summer, and of course, having lost my mom, the parallels were eerie, but in a special way. I thought, ‘what can I do?’ This is an amazing opportunity. How lucky I am. But, also, it felt like, in a spiritual sense, my mom had something to do with it.”
Neeson and Richardson’s impeccable, acting skills will truly mesmerize you in this stupendous film, and the way they were able to powerfully bring this story to life, sharing their own personal connection to the storyline, makes the movie even more impactful.
Alexisjoyvipaccess had a sensational time attending the virtual premiere of Made in Italy and was honored to receive a custom, 1,000-piece puzzle based on the film. (Perfect to work on and complete during the quarantine.) Neeson, Richardson and D’arcy truly created something special with this movie. They created a piece of cinematic art and one that leaves a lasting impression on all viewers.
Made in Italy was undoubtedly made with love and passion and it’s a film that viewers will surely cherish. Made in Italy is out now in drive-ins, select theaters and to rent at home by visiting madeinitaly.movie.