I Love Italian Everything

Director: Luca Lucini
Starring Francesca Inaudi, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Gabriella Pession

I have watched L’uomo Perfetto dozens of times over the past ten years, and as any great work of art, my perception of it has changed as I have gone through my own changes. It tells the story of Lucia, who has had a crush on Paolo forever. But to her dismay he has ended up engaged to her perky (at times annoying) best friend Maria. In a final attempt to break up the couple, she masterminds a plan to insert a hunky actor (Riccardo Scamarcio—YES!) into Maria’s life, instructing him exactly how to be exactly like Maria, from the way she orders her tea to her favorite books and theater, thus making him the perfect man.

The first time I saw L’uomo Perfetto I was in college and Lucia’s antics seemed mischievous, perhaps even deserving of Maria, who never stops talking and seems to wear the pants in every relationship in her life. But watching it again, last night, I was horrified at Lucia’s actions. Poor Maria, who loves going to airports for fun because she believes it is where are the best versions of ourselves, wouldn’t hurt anybody, and every single one of her motives, even the selfish ones, are rooted in a good place. Plus, she is just adorable, from the way she seems to enjoy her life to the fullest, to the cute way she says, “scuuuusaaaahhhhh.” (That’s a way of saying “excuse me” that my mom and I have adopted.)

We are also delivered a not-so-subtle lesson in love. Sometimes we don’t know what we want and sometimes the love between two other people doesn’t make sense to us. And that is none of our business. To anyone who has ever tried to manipulate the love between yourself and someone or another couple, shame on you! You are a Lucia.

L’uomo Perfetto wasn’t made to win an Oscar or to compete with Fellinis, it was made to entertain, and that’s purely what it does. The characters are natural as they are funny. And the grey depiction of Milan is the perfect backdrop for the story of this love triangle to unravel. I could watch this movie again and again, and I think I will. Right now. And I don’t even usually like RomComs.