A Romantic Comedy That's More Predictable Than a Love Letter

When Old-Fashioned Isn't Enough

Not everything labeled "old-fashioned" needs to carry negative connotations. A handwritten letter, your grandma's rice pudding, the cocktail — all nice old-fashioned things. But when Alberto Iglesias' sweet music flows out of the speakers at the start of It Will Happen Tonight, that sense of warmth quickly becomes a little too cozy for comfort.

Director Nanni Moretti has long been known for his ability to craft stories about people at crossroads, but in this latest effort, we're dealing with an old-school romcom that's more predictable than a love letter written by a nervous teenager. This is the kind of film where you can see the next scene coming from a mile away.

"The problem isn't that it's a romantic comedy — it's that it's one that plays it safe, like a wine that's been aged in a cellar for too long."

A Classic Love Story, But Not a Great One

Moretti's script, based on Israeli novelist Eshkol Nevo's short story collection Hungry Heart, follows Matteo (Louis Garrel) and Greta (Jasmine Trinca) as they meet, drift apart, and then meet again. They're both attached to other people when they first cross paths, and the story follows their ongoing fascination with one another across years of missed connections.

But here's where it gets tricky: Moretti is more interested in the idea of a romantic story than in actually crafting one that feels fresh or emotionally resonant. The result is a movie that leans heavily into familiar tropes — a mother who's too involved, a father who jokes about viagra, and a love story that follows the same beats as countless others.

• Matteo's Norwegian girlfriend, Thea (Melina Åkerman), is pregnant and not keen on moving from Oslo to Rome
• Greta's boyfriend Carlo (Edoardo Purgatori) proposes in public, but she calls her father, Moretti himself, to escape the situation
• Seven years later, they meet again at a tennis match and a Springsteen concert, leading to an inevitable affair

The film seems to think that just because it's got heart, it doesn't need to be clever. And while this may be fine for a romantic comedy aimed at a more mainstream audience, it falls flat in the context of today's festival circuit.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

The film's most problematic moment comes in the form of a scene where Greta, now older and playing a role in a film set in San Sebastián, is searching for her daughter Anna. She finds the child, who's crawling with flies and covered in insects — a scene that feels like it was pulled from an old-timey drama to make a point about class struggle.

This sequence is not only jarring but also deeply offensive. It's meant to show Anna as a troubled child, but it ends up reinforcing harmful stereotypes rather than providing real insight into the character or her environment. Moretti could have done better with such a sensitive subject matter.

And while the film's central romance is undeniably charming — Garrel and Trinca are both skilled actors who bring a certain chemistry to their roles — it's undermined by an overreliance on plot devices that we've seen before. It's like a vintage cocktail served in a modern glass — it still tastes good, but you're not really tasting anything new.

"In a world full of complex characters and emotional depth, It Will Happen Tonight feels like a nostalgic trip to simpler times, when love stories were about two people falling in love for the first time. But in our current cultural climate, that's not enough."

The Verdict: A Warm, Predictable Romance

If you're looking for a film that delivers a gentle, feel-good experience, then It Will Happen Tonight will deliver. But if you're after something that challenges the status quo or brings something new to the table, this one won't be your pick.

Moretti is clearly at his best when he's pushing boundaries — and sometimes, even when he's not. In this case, though, it feels like he's taken a step backward. His film is an old-fashioned love letter to the romantic comedy genre, but it lacks the passion that makes such stories truly memorable.

So yes, you might enjoy it. You might even feel nostalgic while watching it. But don't expect it to be anything more than a comfortable, predictable romp through familiar territory — and that's okay, just not groundbreaking.