Non è un paese per single: Felicia Kingsley’s romance lands on Prime Video Starring Matilde Gioli and Cristiano Caccamo
There has always been a certain prejudice surrounding romance. It’s often dismissed as a genre “for girls,” an expression clearly meant to imply something frivolous. A negative bias that has shaped perceptions of the romantic genre for years, if not centuries, because it has long been considered a “women’s issue.” And yet, falling in love and building relationships is universal. As the characters in another contemporary romance, Material Love by Celine Song, demonstrated — a more auteur-driven film and therefore considered more worthy of attention. Not that the genre fails to attract attention, quite the opposite.
Felicia Kingsley’s success and Italian romance
The literary success achieved by Felicia Kingsley, an Italian writer despite her English-sounding name, has indeed come largely from a predominantly female audience. The strength of her romantic comedy on Prime Video, Non è un paese per single, lies in showing that, ultimately, everyone wants to find their soulmate. Women and men alike, romantics and non-romantics, following the teachings of a master like Jane Austen and starting from a principle almost as old as love itself: marriage — much like Song’s work does as well.
Non è un paese per single: a retelling of Pride and Prejudice
The first adaptation based on one of the author’s novels (who has published eighteen books to date), Non è un paese per single is a retelling of the essential Pride and Prejudice, where the story’s Mr. Darcy is actually far less hesitant about marrying someone considered socially beneath him, while the Italian Elizabeth remains firmly opposed to the idea of giving in to a husband. Bringing the characters to life are Matilde Gioli and Cristiano Caccamo: she plays a woman struggling to keep afloat a crumbling estate set among the wonders of Tuscany, while he inherits the surrounding land hoping to sell it.
Streaming platforms are reviving the Italian rom-com
Although there is often still a certain prejudice toward romance productions, this time Prime Video’s project has handled the material with care, resulting in a fairly solid film. Not an unmissable title, but one that confirms a trend streaming platforms had already begun tracing when it comes to romantic comedies, much like what has recently happened on Netflix. Last year saw the quiet release of Ma chi ti conosce?, the rom-com directed by Francesco Fanuele starring Simona Tabasco and Antonio Folletto, which proved to be fresh, witty, and completely comfortable in its simplicity. The same happened with Mica è colpa mia, more comedy than romance yet similar in spirit, once again starring Folletto and released on Netflix. There have been other encouraging examples too, from 2022’s Settembre to the recent Il Dio dell’amore, all of which suggest that Italian romantic cinema is indeed viable — and can be genuinely enjoyable for audiences to immerse themselves in.
Why Non è un paese per single works
But back to Non è un paese per single. The screenplay, performances, and staging are simple but effective enough. There’s no awkwardness; instead, it feels easy and comfortable to follow the events unfolding at the Le Giuggiole estate and the characters inhabiting it. Unfortunately, the film does rely on the usual clichés about princes and princesses, gossip-filled small towns, and parents desperate to see you married off. Yet these elements are softened by the overall charm of an enjoyable rom-com, one that benefits from a built-in advantage: it begins under the weight of a little prejudice (without the pride), only to reveal itself as far better than expected. A film that fans of Felicia Kingsley will likely appreciate, and that could also attract new followers. But it can just as easily provide a light, effortless evening for a casual viewer scrolling through their Prime Video profile and allowing themselves not to think too hard for once.
