Sweet romance with a side of silliness
Figs on pizza? That’s about as radical as it gets in “Little Italy,” a very old-fashioned yet sweet romantic comedy that’s heavy on cheese but a little short on spice.
Still, the movie is not without charms, thanks to a host of fine supporting performances and some decent chemistry between the two romantic leads.
The story centres on Nikki (Emma Roberts), a culinary upand-comer in London who reluctantly returns home to Toronto to renew a work visa and to face some unfinished business with boyhood pal Leo (Hayden Christensen).
Leo’s dad, Vince, and Nikki’s dad, Sal, used to be the best of friends until a pizza pie contest drove a wedge (of Parmigiano Reggiano, perhaps?) between them.
Now they’re operating rival pizza places a stone’s throw from each other while neither prospers.
It’s not exactly the Capulets versus the Montagues — though there is an amusing Romeo and Juliet reference — but vendetta is, after all, an Italian word.
The script by Steve Galluccio (Funkytown) and Vinay Virmani (Dr. Cabbie) ticks all the boxes — and then some — of every ItaloCanadian (or American) stereotype while adding a few extra touches, including a bar owner named Luigi who’s actually Asian (Andrew Phung), and Indo-Canadian characters Jogi and Jessie (Vas Saranga and Amrit Kaur) who each work for a rival restaurant.
Then there’s Franca, Nikki’s grandmother, and Carlo, Leo’s grandfather, who are carrying on a romance in secret because of the family feud.
The substantial subplot is one of the best things about the film, since it features sweet performances by veterans Andrea Martin and Danny Aiello.
But the main course is between Nikki and Leo — she’s high energy and career-driven, he’s laid back and soulful — as they believably navigate a slow, sensual courtship that will almost certainly end just as one might expect.
There’s plenty of Toronto location-spotting for local fans to enjoy.
The film takes a page, perhaps, from the enormous success of another Toronto-filmed rom-com that kept its location vague: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”
There’s also nice work from Gary Basaraba as Vince and Adam Ferrara as Sal, and their respective spouses, Linda Kash and Alyssa Milano, that puts a little (friendly) heat in the rivalry, while Phung is unexpectedly affecting as the boisterous Luigi, who hides a sadder side.
The jokes don’t always land — or land with a groan — but there is an undeniable sweetness and evocation of nostalgia that’s sure to appeal to audiences looking for an uncomplicated romance with a side of silliness.