Nanni Moretti’s It Will Happen Tonight follows two people whose lives repeatedly cross without ever quite aligning.

Adapted from Eshkol Nevo’s short-story collection Hungry Heart, the film stars Louis Garrel and Jasmine Trinca as Matteo and Greta, two adults who spend years wondering whether they chose the right partners and whether another life might have been possible.

The result is a warm, familiar romantic drama that relies heavily on charm, coincidence and the enduring appeal of its two leads.

<h3>A Relationship Built Across Time</h3>

Matteo and Greta first meet while both are already involved with other people. Their connection is brief, but neither completely forgets the encounter.

Matteo is living with his Norwegian girlfriend Thea, played by Melina Åkerman. She is pregnant and reluctant to move from Oslo to Rome, especially after a difficult encounter with Matteo’s mother. Their relationship soon collapses.

Greta, meanwhile, is in Mumbai with her boyfriend Carlo when he proposes publicly. Unable to commit, she calls her father for help and leaves the relationship behind.

The film then begins moving through time in large jumps, returning to Matteo and Greta at different stages of their lives.

<h3>Years Pass, But Attraction Remains</h3>

Seven years later, Matteo sees Greta again during a tennis game. She arrives wearing a white dress, immediately catches his attention and then disappears back into a life he knows almost nothing about.

The complication is considerable: Greta is about to marry Federico and already has a daughter. Matteo, meanwhile, is dealing with his father Olivier’s declining health. Their relationship leads to one of the film’s extended emotional sequences, including a trip to San Sebastián for a Bruce Springsteen concert.

Later, Matteo sees Greta again while she is working on a film nearby, though circumstances prevent a proper reunion.

<h3>The Film Keeps Returning To Missed Chances</h3>

Another seven years pass before Matteo and Greta finally reconnect in a café. By this stage, both have established lives elsewhere. Greta has three children, while Matteo is married to Cristina, who previously worked as his father’s doctor.

Despite the years separating them from their first meeting, the attraction remains. Their relationship develops into an affair, forcing both to consider whether they are willing to dismantle the lives they have built for a possibility they have carried for years.

The central question is deliberately straightforward: is delayed love still worth pursuing when the consequences are far more complicated than they once were?

<h3>Garrel And Trinca Carry The Story</h3>

The film depends heavily on the chemistry between Louis Garrel and Jasmine Trinca.

Garrel gives Matteo an easygoing vulnerability that helps make his long attachment to Greta convincing, while Trinca brings energy and emotional clarity to a character who could otherwise feel underwritten.

Their performances make the familiar structure more engaging, particularly when the story risks becoming too predictable.

<h3>Moretti Keeps The Tone Light</h3>

Although the film deals with regret, aging, family strain and emotional dissatisfaction, Moretti keeps the tone relatively gentle.

There are comic interludes, sentimental musical choices and several scenes built around recognisable romantic-comedy conventions. Alberto Iglesias’ score reinforces that traditional mood, while the screenplay repeatedly returns to the idea that life can change through seemingly small decisions.

Supporting characters, however, are often sketched more simply than the leads, and some storylines feel less developed.

<h3>A Familiar Story Told With Charm</h3>

At 103 minutes, It Will Happen Tonight is less interested in surprise than in emotional continuity. Its destination is easy to anticipate, but the film’s appeal lies in watching Matteo and Greta reach it.

Moretti’s latest is a deliberately old-fashioned romance about timing, regret and second chances. Even when the structure feels familiar, Garrel and Trinca give the film enough warmth to keep its central relationship alive.