Zoe Saldaña starred in a Netflix drama,From Scratch, that flew under most people’s radars and now viewers may be wondering if it’s worth returning to.From Scratchis a 2022 Netflix showthat stars Saldaña as Amy Wheeler, a Georgetown law student who takes a break from her studies to travel to Italy. While she’s there, she falls in love with a free-spirited chef, Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea), and begins to realize that maybe there is more to life than just what she planned for herself. In only eight episodes,From Scratchexplores the ups and downs of new romance.
The series premiered in October 2022, and it’s not correct to say that it caughtZoe Saldaña in the middle of her hot streak, because it hasn’t been so much a streak as an entire career.Since 2009, with her dual roles inAvatarandStar Trek, Saldaña has been one of the biggest names in movies and TV shows, and even before that, she had memorable parts inPirates of the CaribbeanandCrossroads. It’s hard to make something with Saldaña and it not be at least somewhat watchable, so fans may be wondering howFrom Scratchstacks up.
Zoe Saldaña’s From Scratch Is Worth Watching
Saldaña And Mastrandrea Have Fantastic Chemistry
From Scratchis absolutely a show worth watching. While the storyline about a woman shedding her family’s expectations in order to pursue a dream in a beautiful locale like Italy may sound like standard romantic drama fare, Zoe Saldaña’s performance breathes life into the project and makes the plot and script feel as vibrant as theItalian coast where the TV showis set. The series manages to combine a light, breezy tone full of funny and charming moments, with a rueful romance that is equal parts moving and heartwrenching.
From Scratch: The 10 Best Quotes
From Scratch, the latest Netflix miniseries, takes the viewer on an emotional and culinary trip to Italy full of some fantastic lines and dialogue.
The only real issue comes from Saldaña looking quite a bit older than a young law student, buther dramatic chops are required to help move the story forward and keep viewers invested in a romance that features only a few stumbling blocks. Picturesque scenes of Italy and delicious edible concoctions by Lino make each scene screensaver-worthy. Saldaña noted how important capturing the look of the setting was to making the show work (viaVariety),
“That love story was untouched — the sparks and the magic and the food and the Italy of it all was definitely there.”
From Scratchmay not bring anything original to the table of romantic dramas, but it executes the tropes very well.
How Saldaña’s From Scratch Performance Compares To Emilia Pérez
Rita Mora Castro Is A Much More Complex Character
Whether it’s 2022 withFrom Scratchor 2009 withStar Trek,it seems like Zoe Saldaña is always a part of something notable. The same goes for 2024, where Saldaña stars in the musical crime comedyEmilia Pérezby Jacques Audiard, a Spanish-language French production based on Audiard’s opera libretto of the same name, which he in turn adapted from Boris Razon’s 2018 novel,Écoute. In the film, Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) is a lawyer who is hired by a cartel kingpin, Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), to help her receive gender-affirming care and then disappear.
Zoe Saldaña won the Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture award at the 82nd Golden Globes.
Rita and Amy could not be more different characters, beyond the fact that they are both lawyers questioning the path they’ve chosen in life. Where Amy has ajoie de vivreand wants to leave lawyering behind to pursue her passions, Rita is over life. She’s bored, listless, and underappreciated. It’s a much deeper role than the one she performs inFrom Scratch, and she’s earned some Oscar buzz for her performance. She’ll likely be in the Best Supporting Actress category, though there’s a case for her to be in the Best Actress category (viaVariety).
