My Movie Picks & Pans for July 2026, Part 2: "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "Remarkably Bright Creatures" and "Obsession"

[I review "The Devil Wears Prada 2," "Remarkably Bright Creatures," and "Obsession"]

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

 

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) and Amanda Priestley (Meryl Streep) are together again at Runway Magazine 20 years later, but this time the magazine and Amanda are in trouble.  What to do?

Two decades after leaving her position as an assistant at the fashion magazine, Runway, Andrea "Andy" Sachs (Hathaway) has become a respected reporter in New York City. However, when she finds herself abruptly laid off, Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), the owner of Runway's parent company, Elias-Clarke, hires Andy as the features editor.  However, he doesn't tell Miranda Priestley (Streep), Andy's old boss who just happens to still be at Runway, much to her annoyance. Miranda is in her usual bad mood especially because she is under fire for publishing a story about a brand that uses sweatshop labor. Also Miranda is struggling to navigate modern fashion media and HR complaints have toned down her tyrannical office behavior. 

Miranda's right-hand man, Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci), is also still at the magazine and explains to Andy that nobody reads print magazines anymore and AI is cramping their style. They have been forced to embrace media to maintain profits and relationships with advertisers. One key advertiser is Dior, which employs Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), Andy's former Runway co-worker. 

Andy improves her standing at Runway by getting a coveted interview with Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu), the reclusive divorcée of a Silicon Valley billionaire and Irv promises to make Miranda global head of content at Elias-Clarke, but before he can do that he dies from a heart attack at his 75th birthday party. His son, Jay (B.J. Novak), takes over Elias-Clarke, but is not inclined to keep Runway so he puts Miranda's promotion on hold and begins cost-cutting. 

Will Runway be saved? Do we care?

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when the powers that be got together 20 years after the first "Devil Wears Prada" movie and decided they needed to bring these characters back.  Like I said, i don't believe in sequels unless it's "The Godfather Part II." I don't like having to say, "It wasn't as good as the first one." I like to remember the first film and not mess up that memory with a lesser version.  

And, sorry, this one wasn't as good as the first one, but despite that fact, and that I have a thing against sequels, this one can stand alone. Hubby had never seen the first one and was able to enjoy these latest shenanigans without asking me what was going on. And Anne Hathaway is looking better than ever. Curiously, Emily Blunt didn't really look like herself which made me wonder what that means.  Mmmm (if you know what I mean). And she really didn't have that much to do.  Neither did Stanley Tucci, though he plays his usual droll self, but who wouldn't want to watch Meryl Streep chew the scenery?  She is the Queen of all things acting, and she shows another side of the usually imperious Miranda. 

Directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna in an adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s bestseller, it was fun seeing Milan, the fashions and all of the famous people in the modeling world show up. There is even a performance by Lady Gaga. The actors were great, and I give the film props for highlighting how bad things are for print media and journalism in general these days.  I have always been a huge fan of magazines and lament their going the way of the albatross.

Rosy the Reviewer says...did we need this sequel?  Not really, but if you missed these characters and love fashion, this can be a fun diversion. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and available to stream on Hulu on July 29)

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

Lonely widow, Tova, forms an unlikely bond with a young stranger and makes a life-changing discovery.

Tova Sullivan (Sally Field) is an elderly widow who works as a night janitor at an aquarium in the fictional town of Sowell Bay, Washington (and as happens often when depicting Washington State, the movie was actually filmed in Vancouver, B.C. and environs).

After the death of her son Erik years earlier, and more recently, her husband, Tova has become more withdrawn from her everyday life, including her friend group she dubs the "Knitwits" who spend more time gossiping than knitting. She tells them she doesn't like gossip, but at work, she lets it all hang out sharing her frirends' gossip with Marcellus, an elderly but wise octopus who longs to escape from the aquarium. Marcellus (the voice of Alfred Molina) shares his view of life and humans throughout the film and very much wants to help Tova.

One day, Marcellus attempts an escape but is discovered by Tova, who finds him by tracking a slippery path on the floor. After attempting to return him to his aquarium, she slips, injuring her ankle, requiring her to take time off to heal. Tova is also planning to sell her house and move to a senior community. 

Around the same time, Cameron Cassmore (Lewis Pullman, son of actor, Bill), an aspiring musician and a member of a band called "Moth Sausage," ends up in town after experiencing motor trouble. Broke, he seeks temporary work to pay for the repairs to the van his recently deceased mother Daphne left him. Cameron had found a ring with the letters EELS in her van supposedly belonging to his real father along with a picture with the name Simon Brinks (Chris William Martin).  So Cameron wants to find Brinks and collect all of that child support that he feels his dad owed his mother.

Cameron is hired to replace Tova at the aquarium while she recuperates. Unable to stay away, she happens upon Cameron at work and gets on his case for what she perceives as his slacker attitude. She shows Cameron the value of taking pride in his work and shares her relationship with Marcellus, creating a bond between her and Cameron. Tova also discovers that Marcellus doesn't have long to live.  

How these characters, both human and non-human, come together is at the core of this heart-warming story written by Olivia Newman and John Whittington and directed by Newman (based on the book by Shelby Von Pelt).

I was never a huge fan of Sally Field, but I have to say she was absolutely amazing in this film, and I am thinking we are going to have to hear her say "You like me, you really like me" again when she wins an Oscar for this performance.  And I won't mind because she would deserve it.

But Marcellus, who narrates the film, is also the star. He laments that  "Humans, for the most part, are dull and blundering, but occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures." And Marcellus is an amazing creature who gives this film an originality it might not have had without him.  And since octopuses are  "remarkably bright creatures," I can't see how people can eat them. Ever since I saw the award-winning documentary "My Octopus Teacher," I couldn't imagine eating octopus.

Rosy the Reviewer says...highly sentimental and I saw the ending coming a mile away, but at the same time, the locations are breathtaking, and the film cast a spell, drew me in for an enjoyable film experience. (Netflix)

Obsession (2025)

This film is a perfect example of the platitude - "Be careful what you wish for."

Baron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) has romantic feelings for his friend Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette), but she sees them both as just friends. They work at a music store with friends Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Bear visits a crystal shop and is drawn to buy a "One Wish Willow," a novelty toy that claims to grant one wish per person when broken in half. After dropping Nikki off at her house, Bear breaks the One Wish Willow, wishing that Nikki loved him more than anyone in the world and, wouldn't you know, Nikki suddenly reappears and asks to stay at Bear's house where she confesses her mutual feelings and the two begin dating.  

All is well for awhile and then...remember what I said about being careful what you wish for?  And let me remind you of the title of this film. All kinds of crazy stuff happens as Nikki's behavior becomes more and more erratic and Bear wonders how he can reverse the spell.  Maybe he doesn't really want Nikki to love him more than anyone in the world.

This very low-budget supernatural horror film starring virtual unknowns was shot in Los Angeles for only $750,000. It was written, directed and edited by Curry Barker (no relation to Clive) and premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival where it was critically acclaimed. Focus Features acquired the distribution rights for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a genre film in TIFF history, and Jason Blum came on board as an executive producer under Blumhouse Productions.  And it has been a huge critical and commercial success making $427 million worldwide, setting multiple box-office records as the seventh highest grossing film of 2026. 

So you don't want to miss out! There are strong acting performances, especially from Navarrette and the production values are great.  You would never know this was a low-low budget film. But be warned.  There are some highly disturbing moments.

Rosy the Reviewer says...I was obsessed! (for rent or purchase on Apple+ and Amazon Prime)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

My Movie Picks & Pans for July 2026: "Project Hail Mary," "Voicemails for Isabelle" and "The Sheep Detectives"

[I review "Project Hail Mary," "Voicemails for Isabelle" and "The Sheep Detectives"]

Project Hail Mary (2026)

A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship not knowing who he is or where he is. But then he remembers and also discovers an unexpected friendship.

On Earth, the sun is losing power which could kill one third of the earth's population in 30 years. But Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), an official from the European Space Agency, is on it. She is the leader of a secret project to save humanity and she finds her way to Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a middle school science teacher who previously submitted a paper detailing “Astrophage,” or single-cell organisms feeding on electromagnetic radiation... and if you understand that, you are better than I. 

Dr. Grace soon finds himself on the spaceship Hail Mary, on his way to try to stop the spread of the organisms before Earth is slowly destroyed, and it is basically a suicide mission, hence the spaceship's name. It's an eleven year ride and no return ticket. When Grace wakes up with full mountain man hair and beard, he realizes he is left with dead crew members and little memory of his immediate past.  But then he is contacted by an alien ship and meets a stone-like creature he names “Rocky” who is also alone on the same mission. And thus begins a buddy movie. I just wish it hadn't taken so long for Rocky to appear.

The story, written by Drew Goddard (based on the novel by Andy Weir) and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is told through a series of flashbacks as Grace regains his memory, and we understand his relationship with Eva and how he ended up on this spaceship, though I am still not certain I understand. There is a question asked over and over in the film, "Why is a science teacher in space?" and I kept asking myself the same thing. Why him?  I know he wrote that paper, but he was a middle school science teacher, for god's sake. 

I might have gotten into this more if it wasn't for the fact that it took forever to get going.  I mean, Grace didn't meet Rocky until almost an hour into the film, and did I say that the film is almost three hours? I have a thing about movies being longer than 2 hours, and it's mostly Gosling alone on the spaceship and, much as I like him as an actor, I am not sure I like him that much all by himself for two hours talking to a headless rocklike creature, the product of puppetry and CGI. I could have lopped off at least 30 minutes of this film, and I  think it would have worked better.

And did he save the world?  By the time the movie came to an end, I didn't really care anymore.

And by the way, it was not lost on me that before I ever saw the film, much of the press was more about Ryan Gosling's cardigan than the film itself with people wondering where they could buy it or knitting one for themselves! So much for people being into the movie.

Rosy the Reviewer says...there is lots of science if you like that kind of thing, and for the rest of us, moments of fun, sentimentality and emotion, but all in all, and I know this might be an unpopular opinion, this just didn't do it for me. It was too long and too indulgent (for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime). 

Voicemails for Isabelle (2026)

When Jill's sister dies, Jill tries to stay close by continuing to call her sister's phone and leaving voice mails not realizing that a real estate agent now has her sister's phone number and is listening to Jill's voicemails.

Jill (Zoey Deutch) and her sister, Isabelle (Ciara Bravo), also known as Izzy, who has cystic fibrosis, grew up very close in Austin, Texas. Now Jill is an aspiring baker living in San Francisco but the young women stay close through calls and voice mails. Jill works under a demanding and abusive chef (Nick Offerman), so she regularly vents and relates her life to her sister.  But then Isabelle abruptly dies and Jill has difficulty accepting that, so to help her deal with her grief, she continues to leave voicemails forIsabelle, unaware that Isabelle's phone number has been reassigned to Austin-based real estate agent Wes (Nick Robinson), a guy whose ethics are sometimes in question.

At first, Wes is confused about receiving Jill's voice mails but eventually realizes that Isabelle is dead, but he can't stop listening and becomes invested in Jill's life, hearing about her dates with her co-worker Arthur (Lucas Gage) and dating podcaster Tyler (Toby Sandeman), and her desire to become a baker. So Wes convinces his boss to send him on a work trip to San Francisco but his real mission it to meet Jill.  They do meet but, of course, Wes doesn't tell Jill that he knows all about her because he has been listening to her voice mails.

In typical rom-com fashion, love ensues, then trouble ensues when Jill discovers that Wes has been listening to her voicemails to Isabelle and then...well, if you are a rom-com fan, you know where this will eventually go. But it's an enjoyable and poignant journey getting there.  

However, I have to say.  You know how sometimes you call a friend and want to leave a voicemail and you get a message that you can't leave a message because your friend's inbox is full because they haven't cleared it out?  I couldn't help but think...if Isabelle is dead, she can't clean out her inbox so at some point, wouldn't you think Jill would wonder about that? 

But that's just me and how my mind works, and if Jill had realized that and stopped leaving voicemails, then we wouldn't have this movie written and directed by Leah McKendrick, which was a sweet little journey with attractive lovers, an original romantic concept, beautiful San Francisco views with some "Top Chef" and "Hell's Kitchen" vibes thrown in and, though it's an exploration of grief, it's also often funny.  Something for everyone here.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a very cute and satisfying romantic diversion (Netflix).

The Sheep Detectives (2026)

A flock a sheep try to solve a murder.  Yes, you heard me.

In the English village of Denbrook, shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) spends his time reading murder mysteries to his flock of sheep. You heard me. He is very close to his sheep and all of them have names. He doesn't like other humans that much and enjoys the company of his sheep.  Turns out, unknown to Geroge, the sheep can understand him, and they love listening to the stories and actually discuss who they think the murderer is in the mysteries they are hearing.

And it's a good thing the sheep have been paying attention to those murder mysteries, because one morning, George is discovered dead outside his trailer. Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), the town's only police officer, concludes that George was poisoned.

In true Agatha Christie style, the usual suspects are rounded up for the reading of George's will, which turns out to be a new one. Tim is there along with George's solicitor Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), the Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), the appropriately named butcher Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill), innkeeper Beth Pennock (Hong Chau), neighboring shepherd Caleb Merrow (Tosin Cole) and Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine), a reporter who just happens to be in town for the local festival. It comes to light that George had a twin son and daughter who were sent away for adoption after their mother died in childbirth. The daughter, Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), also just happens to be in attendance.  She had reconnected with George and had just arrived from the United States to visit him for the first time. The twin son, Peter Van Vuuren, who lives in South Africa, is also there but only by phone. They all learn that George was secretly a millionaire after selling the patent for a medicine he had invented and the new will names Rebecca as the beneficiary instead of the animals rights charity that had been in the first will.

All of them had issues with George or something to gain if he died.  So who had the means, motive, and opportunity to kill George?

The sheep immediately realize that Tim is a bungling detective, so they decide to solve the mystery on their own, led by crime aficionado ewe Lily (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the ram Mopple (voice of Chris O'Dowd), along with Cloud (voice of Regina Hall) and the loner Sebastian (voice of Bryan Cranson) whom George rescued from a carnival. Other sheep voices include Brett Goldstein playing the twins Reggie and Ronnie; Patrick Stewart as Sir Richfield; Bella Ramsay as Zora; and Rhys Darby as Wool-Eyes. George hadn't read them all of those murder mysteries for nothing. They are on the case.

Speaking of Sebastian, turns out he was a "winter lamb," considered an outcast among sheep.  If you are a sheep, you are supposed to be born in the spring.  Spring good, winter bad.  There is also a little lamb in the flock who was born in winter, who had been rejected by the flock. And, boy did that little guy, get to me.

The anthropomorphic sheep are voiced by an all-star cast and, with the help of AI, are amazing and fun to watch, and yes, poignant.  This film, based on the book "Three Bags Full" by Leonie Swan (screenplay by Craig Maizin) and directed by Kyle Balda, reminded me of the 1995 movie "Babe," though the production values here are much more sophisticated. Speaking of production, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the directors of "Project Hail Mary (see review above) are two of the producers of the film. 

I had been looking forward to this movie because I thought the concept was a fun one, and I was looking forward to Hugh Jackman interracting with the sheep, but that was not to be as he was killed off early on, so I was a bit disappointed in that, as well as the sometimes overly broad humor, silliness and sentimentality, but overall, it was a fun family movie.

Rosy the Reviewer says...so, yes, the humor is broad and the film is at times very silly and overly sentimental, but...okay, I loved those darn sheep, especially that little "winter lamb," and it got me. There were some tears at the end. (Amazon Prime).

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

If You Have Been Missing Rom-Coms... (I know I have)!

[I review the rom-coms "Office Romance," "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" and "La Dolce Villa."]

I know rom-coms can be formulaic and often silly, but sometimes there is nothing better to take your mind off of the trials of the world than some love stories you can count on, especially when they take place in romanic locations. And here are three good ones (well, maybe the office isn't romantic but Paris, Italy and the English Countryside certainly are)! 

Office Romance (2026)

Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez) is the CEO and President of Air Cruz, a major airline company founded by her father. She runs a tight ship especially when it comes to office romances.  But she never expected to meet Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein).

Jackie (Lopez) is under a lot of pressure from her company board and her demanding father (Edward James Olmos).  She desperately wants her father's respect, so she is a no-nonsense manager who enforces a rigid, anti-fraternization policy.  And so goes her personal life as well. It's no-nonsense, rigid and very isolated.

Enter reserved and very British Daniel Blanchflower (Goldstein), who is newly hired as the company's legal counsel and wouldn't you know?  He is assigned a high-stakes litigation case that forces him to work closely with Jackie. Sparks fly and now Jackie has to deal with her own fraternization issues.

Well, you know where this is headed, right?  Let the rom-com tropes begin!  Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love.  Boy and girl break up because there is some kind of misunderstanding or challenge that needs to be overcome.  Boy and girl get back together.

Yes, those tropes are in play here to a certain extent, but what sets this rom-com apart from Hallmark and other lightweight love stories is the smart writing by Goldstein and writing partner, Joe Kelly, the smart direction of Ol Parker, interesting characters like Jackie's very pregnant assistant, Sydney (Betty Gilpin), who adds a fun comic element and almost steals the show, and the side plot about the family matter that has brought Daniel to America.  It's not your usual rom-com, though it's got rom and it's got com.

J-Lo was made for rom-coms and writer/actor Brett Goldstein must agree with me.  He wrote this movie for her.  And this is the kind of movie I enjoy seeing her in. She is a beautiful, luminous woman who radiates warmth from the screen. I think she actually looks better now at 56 than she did when she first starred in "Selena."  Who wouldn't fall in love with her?  I did. I have been a big fan of hers from the start. But this is a bit of a departure for J-Lo, even in the rom-com genre.  In her past rom-coms, she would usually start out needing to improve her life - think "Maid in Manhattan" or "Second Act." - but here she is already at the top as a CEO. She just needs a little romance and you know (whisper)...sex. And Goldstein makes a great leading man and foil for Jackie, though I had a hard time trying to forget him as Roy Kent on "Ted Lasso," with that colorful language of his. But here he is toned down, handsome, sensitive and very sexy and the two have great chemistry.  And rumor has it that Goldstein and J-Lo have a real life romance.  I want that to be true.

Rom-coms used to be everywhere in the "old days."  Where are the new versions of "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" when you are craving a romantic getaway?  Rom-coms seem to have gone the way of the albatross in lieu of super heroes, sci fi and horror, but perhaps the success of this film will bring them back. We need those kinds of films when we are tired of super heroes, sci fi and horror and, yes, the sometimes horror of real life.

Rosy the Reviewer says...got my rom-com fix, and I have to say that this is one of the best rom-coms I have seen in a long time (Netflix).

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (2024)

A lonely Parisian bookseller yearns to be a writer but keeps not only messing that up but her love life as well.

Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a French bookseller who works at the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company in Paris and aspires to be a writer.  She lives with her sister and her sister's young son and cycles everywhere, as she is too anxious to ride in cars anymore since her parents were killed in a car accident in which she was injured. Agathe is a strange duck. She is a huge Jane Austen fan and has a difficult time relating to her own real life, feeling like she is living in the wrong century. She has no romantic life, instead only manifesting itself in her writing and yearning for a love story worthy of a Jane Austen heroine.

One evening, after Agathe imagines a handsome naked man in a restaurant, she is inspired to write the beginning of a romance novel in English.  Her friend, Félix (Pablo Pauly), with whom Agathe is very close, reads her work and secretly sends it to the Jane Austen Residency, a two-week writing retreat held in England. When they accept her, Agathe reluctantly gets into a car and lets Félix drive her to the Channel ferry. As she is about to board, they kiss for the first time.

Agathe is met at the ferry by Oliver (Charlie Anson), a distant descendant of Jane Austen's (his parents run the Residency). There is a meet cute moment when en route to the Residency, Oliver's car breaks down and they have to spend the night in the car. Agathe insults him in French under her breath, and he surprises her when he informs her he is fluent in French. Oops. And he also informs Agathe he thinks Jane Austen is overrated. Double oops. The next morning they are rescued by an apple-cart.

This is one of those romances where there is hostility at the beginning of the relationship. Oliver is an arrogant Mr. Darcy type and Agathe doesn't like him but slowly a connection develops.  At the same time, though, Agathe experiences writer's block and Felix shows up creating a dilemma for Agathe.

Will Oliver and Agathe fall in love?  Or will she choose Felix?  And will she finish her novel?

Written and directed by Laura Piani in her feature debut, this is a quiet film, beautifully atmospheric, but how can you go wrong with the beauty of Paris and the English countryside looking like a Constable painting at every turn? Rutherford, who reminded me a bit of a younger version of Katie Holmes, is believable and charming as the awkward, anxiety-ridden Agathe.and Anson reminded me of a young Hugh Grant, perfect for a sweet, but complicated, rom-com. 

What sets this apart from other rom-coms is that this is not just about a young woman finding love but more about a young woman finding her artistic path.  You go girl!

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you love Jane Austen, Paris and the English countryside, you will love this romantic homage to literature and writing. (Netflix in English and French with English subtitles).

La Dolce Villa (2025)

An American businessman travels to Italy to stop his daughter from spending all of her money restoring an old villa, not realizing what is in store for him.

Fifty-something American widower Eric Field (Scott Foley) returns to Italy to try to stop his 24-year-old daughter, Liv (Maia Reficco), from blowing her inheritance on rebuilding a villa. Eric has taken time off for the first time in years from his restaurant support company out of concern that Liv is possibly jeopardizing her future. Liv has had a difficult time deciding what she wants to do.  She has been spending time in Italy as a tutor in Milan, a nanny in Florence and even worked harvesting olives, but then she discovered the village of Montezaraand decided she wanted to settle down there. 

Montezara is part of the 1-euro Housing Plan, a new economic plan to help remote parts of Italy. It involves selling abandoned heritage villas "as is" for one Euro, so Eric and Liv check out the potential properties, and while doing so, meet the town mayor, Francesca (Violante Placido). She is wholeheartedly in favor of the 1-euro project, hoping to revitalize Montezara. They also meet Bernardo (Tommaso Basili), the local surveyor whose job it is to oversee construction projects and he is not in favor of the project, concerned about non-italians buying up properties.

Liv chooses a property and Eric decides to handle his business remotely and stay to help Liv with the renovation despite a tense on-going relationship with her and business problems at home.  As the renovation moves forward, Eric gets an idea of turning the property into a cooking school, but more problems arise and not just with the cooking school plan. As Eric starts to have romantic feelings for Francesca, Bernardo is not happy to have a rival for Francesca's affection. 

So who will Francesca choose?  And will Liv and Eric strengthen their father/daughter bond?  And what about that cooking school?

The actors are believable and Foley and Placido make a handsome couple.  Placido is a particularly lovely actress.  Hubby was drooling over her the whole time! 

Written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy and directed by Mark Waters, this film is light as a feather with some Hallmark Channel vibes, but I appreciated the generational romance aspect: we have Eric and Francesca, two people of a certain age in a romance, but also Liv and a local young chef are attracted to one another. It's also a father/daughter story as Liv and Eric work through their problems. But this is also a love letter to Italy as the film is visually beautiful and showcases the beauty of Tuscany (the town of Pienza stands in for Montezara).

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like your romance set in a beautiful Italian location with some reno and Italian house hunting thrown in, and you don't mind some predictable plot lines, you will enjoy this light, but charming rom-com. ( in English and Italian with English subtitles - Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

If You Like Documentaries...Part 2 (2026)

[I review the Martin Short documentary, "Marty, Life is Short" as well as "The Crash," #1 on Netflix right now and "Man on the Run," all about Paul McCartney and Wings)

Marty, Life is Short (2026)

Martin Short is one of the funniest men on the planet but his life has not been funny.

Yes, Martin, or let's call him Marty, has had a great career in sketch comedy, creating some of the funniest characters both on SCTV and "Saturday Night Live" - Ed Grimley, Jiminy Glick - but he is also a movie star - "Three Amigos," "Father of the Bride" -  and is currently enjoying success with the Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building." He also has two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Actor Awards and a Tony under his belt and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2019.  Oh, you didn't know he was Canadian?

But Marty's personal life has not been as fortunate.  He lost his older brother and both of his parents by the time he was 20 and lost his wife of 38 years, Nancy Dolman, a talented actress/singer in her own right, to whom Marty was devoted, in 2010.

The youngest of five children, Marty grew up in Hamilton, Ontario.  His father was a corporate executive for a Canadian steel company and hailed from Ireland.  His mother was Canadian and the concertmistress for the Hamilton Symphony Orchestra. "People were funny in my family." So says Marty.  But sadly, both parents died within two years of each other and Marty's older brother was killed in an accident. 

Before graduating from college (he eventually did), Marty moved to Toronto to try his hand at acting and eventually was cast in a production of "Godspell" where he worked with Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara and Paul Shaffer, who would all play significant roles in Marty's career, and many of whom, along with Marty, would eventually become a part of Toronto's version of Second City, then the Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV and eventually "Saturday Night Live." The rest is comedy history. 

Marty also met his soon-to-be wife, Nancy, during that production of "Godspell," and some might say she was the biggest influence on his life and her presence is felt through this film.

This is an intimate look at Martin Short's life and career. Home movies and some of Marty's best comedy bits abound as well as interviews with his fellow comedians, including the late Catherine O'Hara, who was a significant influence on Marty (the documentary is dedicated to her) and Steve Martin, who has a special bond with Marty and, can I say, doesn't look a bit different from how he looked 30 years ago?!

Marty didn't want to do this documentary, but his good friend, director Lawrence Kasdan ("The Big Chill," "Body Heat"), wanted to do it and direct it, so Marty relented, and I am so glad he did because this is not just about the facts of Marty's life and his many character and comedy moments, it is a highly inspirational journey that you don't want to miss. It's a joyful journey.  Despite the many tragedies in Marty's life, he chose to focus on joy.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this is not your dry facts of a life documentary.  This is an intimate, poignant and inspirational look inside the life and career of, not just a wonderful comedian, but a wonderful husband, father and overall good guy. It was so inspirational and joyful, in fact, that, I must sayyy, I cried a little. And I must sayyy, it's a must see film! (Netflix)

The Crash (2026)

A seventeen-year-old crashes her car into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour, killing her boyfriend and his friend.  Was it an accident or murder?

On July 31, 2022 Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her vehicle into a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo and their friend, Davion Flanagan. Shirilla was a wannabe TikTok influencer, and she and her boyfriend, Dominic, lived together at his parents' house.  They had been together since he was 16 and she was 13.  Davion was a student athlete and part of their large friend group.  

Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene while Mackenzie was taken to the hospital seriously injured.  The police initially thought the crash was an accident but an examination of the vehicle deemed it in good working condition and the onboard computer system indicated the accelerator was being pressed at the time of the crash. And it didn't help that the couple had frequent conflicts with Shirilla dominating and threatening Dominic whenever he tried to break up with her. So Shirilla was arrested and tried for murder. And Shirilla doesn't come off well in home movies and social media as she struts around, smokes weed and flips off the camera, but does that make her a murderer?

Though Shirilla was convicted of murder and is currently serving time at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, she has vehemently denied that she murdered her friends, that she does not remember that night and there is a bit of a twist regarding her lack of memory. Her parents and other supporters are also vehement that it was an accident. 

Directed by Gareth Johnson, this documentary is currently the #1 most viewed movie on Netflix and shows footage of the grizzly crash, covers her trial and interviews Shirilla in prison as well as family, friends, supporters and doubters, and leaves it up to the viewer as to whether or not justice was served in this case. 

Rosy the Reviwer says...accident ot murder? You decide. (Netflix)

Man on the Run (2025)

What's a Beatle to do when he is no longer a Beatle?  Well, he reinvents himself.

Contrary to popular opinion, according to Paul, he wasn't the one who broke up The Beatles.  It was John!  However, if you are a hard-core Beatlemaniac, there might not be any real revelations here, but this is an engaging retelling of rock and roll history as Sir Paul himself recounts trying to reimagine his life as an ex-Beatle and coming up with the idea of Wings and what happened after. 

After the Beatles broke up, Paul worried that he wouldn't be able to write again, and according to him, he got into Scotch and drinking too much.  But then along came Linda, who Paul attributes to saving him.  I think Linda always got a bad rap. She was criticized for being American, for being in the band (Paul wanted her there), she couldn't sing, she couldn't play an instrument, yada, yada, yada...but think about it.  She gave up her career as a photographer, lived on a remote farm in Scotland, had four kids and went on the road with Paul, so I am thinking she was probably one of the best things that ever happened to Paul and to his credit, he gives her credit.

Putting Wings together was not easy.  Paul likens it to the movie "Spinal Tap." When he was interviewed by the press he was asked- "Are you too old for rock and roll?"  Paul was 33.  But he was not deterred.  In fact, Paul was the ultimate performer and unleashed himself in Wings. And then Wings played their last concert December 29, 1979 and Paul had to reinvent himself again.  And he did...as Paul McCartney.  His solo career began and the rest is rock history.

The film was directed by Morgan Neville, and McCartney fans will eat up the ’70s home videos, unseen archival footage, performances, and off-camera interviews with family and band members, plus some insightful voiceovers from Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jagger and Sean Ono Lennon (Paul and John made up before John's death), but it's the insights from Paul himself that are intimate and fascinating.

Rosy the Reviewer says...as a young girl, I thought I was going to marry Paul.  I learned so did every other young girl, including Oprah.  So, yes, I ate this up and so will you. (Amazon Prime)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!