Love & Gelato – Fun & Enjoyable
Director: Brandon Camp
Writer: Brandon Camp (Screenplay)
Cast: Susanna Skaggs, Owen McDonnell, Anjelika Washington, Valentina Lodovini, Alex Boniello, Tera Hendrickson, Saul Nanni, Tobia De Angelis
Plot: Lina makes a promise to her sick mother that she’ll spend the summer before college in Rome, where she falls for the city, the people – and the “gelato”.
Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Love & Gelato starts as Lina (Skaggs) says her final goodbye to her mother. Setting out to complete a wish of her mother’s spend the summer before college in Italy. Lina heads off alone, spending time with her mother’s friend Francesca (Lodovini) and Howard (McDonnell). It doesn’t take long before she meets a handsome young man Alessandro (Nanni).
Alessandro wants to show Lina the city, help her breakout of her shy ways. Until she meets friendly chef Lorenzo (Angelis), another person to show her around. Lina starts to fall in love with the city, a place that she can see why her mother loved.
Thoughts on Love & Gelato
Characters & Performances
Lina has been an honor student her whole life, preparing for college. She loses her mother and heads to Italy to spend the summer there, her mothers final wish. Alone in a big city, she is scared of the journey, but amazed by the beauty of the city. Meeting to young guys, she learns about love for the first time. Getting to following in her mother’s footsteps, of falling in love in Italy for the first time. She has always lived her life behind a safety net, with the trip seeing her break down the barriers in her life.
Alessandro is the rich heir in Rome that takes a shine to Lina. He is heading to America for college, given a bad reputation around the city. From the playboy lifestyle he was thrown into, getting caught in his family’s demands. He wants to prove to Lina that he is different to his reputation, showing her a different side to Italy.
Lorenzo is a chef that offers to help Lina. He knows plenty of secrets about the city. Being the perfect host to show someone around the city.
Addie is the best friend who has been on social media, using the reality of it to tell her stories. She has always wanted her best friend to have more from her life. Always there for a call from the other side of the world.
Susanna Skaggs is a lot of fun in the leading role. Getting to let loose in a role that will show the confusion of the next step in life. Saul Nanni and Tobia De Angelis show the two different types of men that are around in Italy.
Story
The story follows a college student that spends the summer alone in Italy. Following in her mother’s footsteps, where she first found love in her life. Here, Lina will learn the importance of explore a new culture and enjoying life. Giving her a chance to learn about her future and her mother’s past.
In what is a beautiful story about finding yourself. We get to see how much life can take you in a way you never imagined. You need to go out there to experience the world. Create the stories of your own life to define who you are in life.
While certain parts of the story will leave us wondering why certain people act the way they do. The journey Lina goes on, is one that many people go on. Getting to learn life’s lessons has never felt better despite how hard this journey is.
Themes
Love & Gelato is a romantic comedy that sees a young woman learning about life. Heading off on her own journey to understand life, the same way her mother did. Enjoying a beautiful city, with Rome being the backdrop of this movie. We do also get to see the beauty of other parts of Italy along the way. The romance will feel like something we don’t see sparks flying. As we get to learn how meeting strangers is the driving force of the journey.
Final Thoughts – Love & Gelato is a fun, enjoyable journey to create stories.
