Liam Neeson and his son Micheál Richardson appear on screen together for
the first time in Made In Italy. The plot line, given the tragic loss of
Liam Neeson’s wife and Micheál Richardson’s mother, Natasha Richardson in
2009, seems a strange choice for their first appearance together on screen.
Perhaps, like the characters they play in Made In Italy it’s all part of
their healing process.
Jack (Micheál Richardson) runs an art gallery with his wife and after they
decide to go their separate ways he’s forced to contact his father Robert
(Neeson), a once prolific artist, and ask him to sell the house in Italy
that they inherited after their mother died in a tragic accident.
Once there they find that the once beautiful villa is in a bad state of
repair leading to tension between the pair as they come to realise that the
house means different things to each of them.
James D’Arcy, better known for his acting roles, makes his directorial
feature debut with Made In Italy. Easy to watch with some fine
performances, Lindsay Duncan turns up as a no nonsense ex-pat estate agent
whilst Valeria Bilello, in probably the films stand out role, is a young
local restaurant owner who takes a shine to Jack, Made In Italy might not
last long in the memory but it’s impossible not to be taken in by it’s easy
going nature making for an enjoyable if somewhat undemanding watch.
