| An Italian movie, starring primarily Italian actors, set at an Italian private school, and all the characters speak stilted English. Why? The movie makes a lame excuse that the school encourages English, but since when do teenagers do what schools ask of them especially outside of school? I suspect the real reason is because Americans don’t read subtitles so if an international romance is in English then it’s a much easier sell for Prime Video. | | 2026
Directed by: Roger Kumble
Screenplay by: Veronica Galli, Serena Tateo
Starring: Mia Jenkins, Pepe Barroso
|
The reason this is a problem is because purposely stilted dialogue leads to purposely stilted acting. Good chemistry is much easier to find when the acting is good. June and James have decent chemistry since Pepe Barroso channels Jacob Elordi effectively, but June and Will have zero chemistry. A love triangle doesn’t work when one side of it is non-existent.
June (Mia Jenkins) is a British transfer student (she actually does speak English, it’s the rest of the characters who shouldn’t), a good girl, who instantly falls for the good boy Will (Luca Melucci) because they can both quote Shakespeare. Meanwhile bad boy James has that reputation because he likes being antagonistic. All of the other boys, including Will, are shown as being scared of him, and then insist that he’s a good friend. That is a common trait among girls, but it’s uncommon behaviour among boys. Anyways bad boy James introduces himself to June by dragging her into the boys locker room, stripping down in front of her, and then getting her to do his laundry. The entire movie is like that, June and James about to get hot and heavy but then never actually do anything. There is a provocative sexiness to this movie that can be appealing, but it belongs in a better movie.
This movie has a specific setting but doesn’t really do anything with it. The private school is introduced as being for the richest of the rich, the most privileged, filled with teenage influencers, but other than making an AI video and spreading it around, there is no commentary on these characters. Making them filthy rich for no reason other than making it easier to get away with nice clothes? When June first arrives new friends ask her if she’s a scholarship kid, but then they interrupt themselves and tell her not to answer it. The movie does not bother answering it. We have no clue why or how June is at this school.
There is a sub-plot which keeps the film together about June’s brother who died, involving drugs and a car accident. It’s handled well and is a necessary emotional arc even if the main characters aren’t capable of showing emotion.
Good girl, bad boy romances are a dime a dozen, and while there is passion here to help drive a budding coming of sexual age story, this is not a well produced movie.
|
