'A Year in London' is a quaint film that feels as long as its titular year, though moments of soap opera silliness and wooden Google-translate line readings can be reasonably entertaining.
Plot Overview
Olivia (Nina Pons) is a young fashion student from southern Italy who gets the chance of a lifetime to spend a year in London at the 'London Academy of Couture' in South Kensington. Saucer-eyed Olivia is almost-engaged to a wealthy hometown boy named Paolo (Matteo Bassi), but it soon becomes clear that Paolo's character is not what it seems.
Romance Blooms
Upon arriving in London, Olivia feels an immediate spark with her sophisticated professor Nina (Melanie Liburd). They attend a party together and bond after being mugged—a portrayal of London as a violent, lawless city. That night, both women lie in their separate beds, thinking about each other with smirks and squirms, as if the mugging has brought them closer.
Professional Qualms
Nina invites Olivia to a fashion convention in Rome, calling it a 'great networking opportunity.' Despite sharing champagne in Nina's hotel room, they do not become intimate because Nina has professional reservations about a student-teacher relationship. Meanwhile, Paolo causes trouble, but Nina remains inspired by a local outreach project, telling Olivia, 'I'd love to introduce you to the kids at the community centre.'
'A Year in London' is in UK cinemas from 17 July.
