Both of the leads are capable of so much more than this script offers them. That's the biggest takeaway of this movie.
I don't wholly agree with the other reviewers comments about Emma giving up her position "for her man." I agree that Paolo went back on what he said but that's also the potential reality of someone living abroad. Things are a lot different in theory than in practice and I say all of this as someone who is an expat living in Italy.
Beyond that, I felt that Emma was actually fighting for her own limitations. She was trying hard to impress a boss to get a promotion doing a job she actively hates... She also wasn't giving up a teaching position (from what I understood) because her only class was already taken away from her. Also is she even tenured?
My read on this situation is that Emma had set out on a path and had a plan and was refusing point blank to accept the reality of the situation that what she thought she wanted wasn't really all that she dreamed it would be. At that point isn't it normal to course correct and choose a new path and a new dream?
PS. As a Canadian in a relationship with an Italian man I can confirm that the pizza scenes are all 100% accurate! They don't always get cultural things right in these kinds of movies, but this time they're dead on.
I don't wholly agree with the other reviewers comments about Emma giving up her position "for her man." I agree that Paolo went back on what he said but that's also the potential reality of someone living abroad. Things are a lot different in theory than in practice and I say all of this as someone who is an expat living in Italy.
Beyond that, I felt that Emma was actually fighting for her own limitations. She was trying hard to impress a boss to get a promotion doing a job she actively hates... She also wasn't giving up a teaching position (from what I understood) because her only class was already taken away from her. Also is she even tenured?
My read on this situation is that Emma had set out on a path and had a plan and was refusing point blank to accept the reality of the situation that what she thought she wanted wasn't really all that she dreamed it would be. At that point isn't it normal to course correct and choose a new path and a new dream?
PS. As a Canadian in a relationship with an Italian man I can confirm that the pizza scenes are all 100% accurate! They don't always get cultural things right in these kinds of movies, but this time they're dead on.