Review: 'Made in Italy' is a gorgeous tour of Tuscany, with father and son Liam Neeson and Micheál Richardson as salty companions

For a nation that can’t go anywhere for vacation, the comedy-drama “Made in Italy” arrives just in time — allowing viewers to see the beautiful sights of Tuscany with two charming travel companions: Liam Neeson and his real-life son, Micheál Richardson.

Richardson plays Jack, who manages a fancy London gallery — and who is gutted when his soon-to-be ex-wife, whose parents own the gallery, tells Jack that they’re selling it. Jack begs them to give him a month to raise the money to buy the gallery, by selling the Tuscan house that he co-owns with his dad, Robert (Neeson).

Robert, a painter whose recent output hasn’t matched the greatness of his early career, goes with Jack to Tuscany to see what to make of the place, which neither have visited in decades. They, and a transplanted English estate agent, Kate (Lindsay Duncan), discover branches growing into the windows, a hole in the ceiling, and a hideously dark mural on the living room wall — painted by Robert in his younger days.

But the issues with the house are minor, compared to what else is there: Memories of Raffaella, Robert’s wife and Jack’s mother, who died when Jack was just 7 years old. This part of D’Arcy’s script cuts close to home for the actors, considering Neeson’s wife and Richardson’s mom, Natasha Richardson, died in 2009 — when Micheál, who changed his last name in her honor, was 13 years old.

D’Arcy — who’s probably best known for playing Jarvis, loyal butler to Howard Stark, in “Avengers: Endgame” and TV’s “Agent Carter” — makes a respectable debut as writer and director. The script is solid, if a bit formulaic with its romantic subplot between Jack and a beautiful chef (Valeria Bilello), but leaving plenty of room for Neeson and Richardson to establish their characters’ fractured relationship. And as a director, D’Arcy knows to use his talented cast and the bounteous views of Tuscany to full advantage. The results make “Made in Italy” a diverting trip without leaving the house.

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‘Made in Italy’

★★★

Opens Friday, August 7, at Megaplex Theatres in Utah, and available as a video-on-demand rental on most streaming platforms. Rated R for language. Running time: 94 minutes.