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Many of TSLL’s Petit Plaisirs are French or British-inspired; however, I had to include Toscana which is largely set in Tuscany along with Denmark as the secondary location because the themes are worth exploring and tie naturally into what living simply luxuriously is all about.
Released on May 18th this year on Netflix, Anders Matthesen stars as the accomplished and revered Danish chef who has recently learned of an hesitance from his estranged father. A man who he knew and spent time with in his early youth on his inherited estate in northern Italy.
Cristiana Dell’Anna stars as Sophia, the soothing, yet straight-talking childhood friend who reminds Theo (Matthesen) of his childhood memories spent in Tuscany, memories he remembers fondly, minus the confusion of having to leave, and never return with his mother to Denmark.
While three languages are spoken throughout the film, the primary language being English as it is the common language between Theo and Sophia, I highly recommend watching with subtitles, and not the dubbed version. While I neither know Italian or Danish, to hear the actors speak, their cadence and tone is valuable, and the subtitles are there to share what is expressed.
The food Theo is known for as his expertise in the kitchen has rightly earned him accolades in his profession. The first few scenes will make your mouth salivate, so have a delicious meal’s ingredients at the ready, as you will be inspired to eat well, even if it doesn’t resemble aesthetically what he does (or flavor, but you get the idea :)).
Most importantly, the film concludes not in a traditional ‘American rom-com’ fashion, and for that I applaud the writers. No, the intention of the film was to remind us of the many people who cross our paths and how each of them can be a teacher in an area of our lives we need to strengthen our knowledge and thus our trust in ourselves. Quality, sincere connections, vulnerability, these human treats cause trepidation to arise, but are worth embracing for a life of fulfillment.
Have a look at the trailer below and enjoy now on Netflix.
Toscana was the Petit Plaisir in episode #331 of The Simple Sophisticate podcast, How to Notice the Awesomeness in Your Life and the World
~Explore more Petit Plaisirs in TSLL’s Archives
I truly savored this lovely film based on your recommendation! I completely agree that it should be watched with subtitles rather than the dubbed version. I almost did not continue at first because it defaulted to the dubbed version when I started watching it and I thought it was so inauthentic. I’m so glad I thought to change my settings to subtitles, otherwise, I would have missed out a true gem ?
Dani, Thank you for sharing your experience with the film and choosing not to watch with the dubbing. It really does enable the film to be thoroughly enjoyed. 🙂
I smiled when I saw this post. We watched this a few days before and enjoyed it so much. Admittedly, I at first decided to read instead of watch, but I was pulled in by the story and the entire atmosphere. The conclusion is perfect for the very reasons you discuss, Shannon. In a way, it reminded me a bit of the lovely Irish film “Once.” We watched with subtitles; we watch many films and programs from around the world, thanks to streaming, and we dislike dubbing. I hope others are inspired to spend an evening enjoying this lovely film.