Under the Tuscan Sun
Directed by Audrey Wells
- romance
- comedy
The story
Frances Mayes, a 35-year-old professor and writer from San Francisco, decides to take a tour of Tuscany following a difficult divorce. After impulsively buying a run-down villa in the Italian countryside, she begins to piece her life back together in unexpected ways.
What it’s like
Sun-washed Tuscan light pours through shutters and across crumbling ochre walls, with warm golden hour framing that lingers on olive groves, terracotta roofs and long lunch tables heaped with figs and bread. The camera is generous and unhurried, favouring wide landscape shots, sweeping drone-free vistas and close, affectionate framing of hands kneading dough or paint drying on a half-restored fresco. Sound is mostly birdsong, cicadas, clinking glasses and a light, melodic score that never crowds the scene. The vibe is warm, wistful and gently funny, a sunlit comfort watch for a lazy weekend afternoon or a glass of wine on a slow evening. Its pacing is leisurely and episodic, with a recently divorced woman slowly rediscovering her appetite for life, humour and romance in unexpected company. Emotional stakes are low and tender, with some sadness about heartbreak and loss handled lightly, and there is no violence, gore or graphic content, only mild sensuality and a few kisses. It suits people who want a soothing, sunny escape with a bit of heart, and a sense of renewal.
More films like Under the Tuscan Sun
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Under the Tuscan Sun and we’ll explain which ones fit you.
