A Nostalgic Musical Moment in “You, Me & Tuscany”
There’s a moment in the romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany” that takes viewers back to the early 2000s, specifically 2004. During one scene, Halle Bailey’s character, Anna, gets into Regé-Jean Page’s Michael’s car, and Mario’s Grammy-nominated hit “Let Me Love You” starts playing on the stereo. Anna is taken aback by the reserved winemaker’s choice of classic R&B.
“I just didn’t expect this from you,” she tells him.
Michael responds with a question: “What does that mean?” When Anna says she pictured him as the type of guy who listens to podcasts, he quips, “So, boring?”
“Well, yes,” she nods.
A Journey to Tuscany
In “You, Me & Tuscany,” Anna, who recently lost her job and home, is inspired to book a trip to Italy after meeting a charming Italian man named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor). Unbeknownst to Matteo, Anna ends up staying at his empty villa during her Tuscan getaway. There, she meets the handsome Michael, who mistakes her for Matteo’s fiancée. As Matteo’s family begins planning their wedding, Anna finds herself in over her head and starts developing feelings for Michael.
After the car ride scene, “Let Me Love You” continues to play a role in the storyline. Matteo’s mother tells Anna about a family wedding tradition that includes a singing portion. She asks Michael to stand in for Matteo (who is nowhere in sight and has no idea Anna is in Italy) and he jokingly sings “Let Me Love You” to Anna. The song also plays an emotional and crucial part at the end of the film.
The Song That Captured the Essence of the Film
“There was always a musical moment in the script. What the song was going to be actually came in relatively late,” Page told during a sit-down interview in Napa, California. “We just kind of wanted to find the right vibe, to find what worked between the characters, to find something that was both surprising and familiar. I think we landed somewhere really fun.”
The actor notes that after watching the film, “People kept bringing it up. So I’m assuming that that’s a pretty fun takeaway.” Page also jokes that singing in front of Bailey, a Grammy-nominated singer who is one-half of the duo Chloe x Halle and also a solo artist, was “terrifying.” Bailey, on her end, applauds her co-star, saying, “He has a great voice.”
Why “Let Me Love You” Was Chosen
Producer Will Packer speaks more in-depth about the inclusion of “Let Me Love You” and why that song was chosen. “Mario’s song, ‘Let Me Love You’ is thematically, really, the anchor of this movie. And we needed something that would make our character, (Anna), feel like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m so surprised (by) Mr. Rigid, stiff, hot-looking guy, British Regé, playing Michael. What’s he doing listening to this?!’” Packer explains. “We needed a song that has some flavor to it. We need a classic song that audiences would know.”
Director Kat Coiro adds that she loved that “Let Me Love You” is “about valuing a woman and having her recognize her worth, because that is part of the journey that Anna goes on.” She explains, “She falls in love with herself. And that song, I think, really keys into how women want (and deserve) to be treated.”
The team discussed a number of songs that would work for the film. “But without a doubt, we landed on the perfect one,” Packer says. “We went through a lot of songs to figure out what would capture that same energy we’re talking about. Mario won.”
