Tamal Kundu
Directed by Alice Filippi, ‘Out of My League’ (2020) or ‘Sul più bello’ is an Italian romantic-comedy film that revolves around a young and spirited woman named Marta (Ludovica Francesconi). She is an orphan and has a rare genetic disorder called mucoviscidosis. She is forced to lead a very restrained life. After her doctor suggests that she should pursue her goals, Marta decides to find a storybook romance for herself. She sees Arturo (Giuseppe Maggio), a handsome young man struggling with his affluent family’s expectations, and starts stalking him.
After they formally meet, Arturo gradually realizes that Marta is unlike any other girl he has ever known. They begin to develop genuine feelings for each other, but Marta doesn’t tell him about her condition, afraid of what he will do when he finds out. If the film’s depictions of romance and living with a lethal condition made you wonder whether it is based on real-life events, we got you covered.
Is Out of My League Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Out of My League’ is not based on a true story. It’s the cinematic adaptation of the namesake book by Eleonora Gaggero, who, besides being a writer, is an actor and singer. In ‘Out of My League,’ she portrays Beatrice, the romantic rival of Marta. As with the film, the book came out in 2020. The film seems to be a faithful adaptation of the book and offers a commentary on the perception of beauty and superficiality. Marta is well aware that she is not a traditionally beautiful woman. But she hasn’t let it affect how she approaches her life.
After her doctor tells her to go after her goals, she decides to find a handsome boyfriend. She tries Tinder, left swiping anyone who doesn’t look like the second coming of Adonis. She then stalks Arturo until he confronts her and agrees to invite her to dinner. Marta has enough problems in her life with her parents dead and the lethal condition. She really doesn’t need the extra burden of an inferiority complex regarding how she looks. But even Marta can be quite superficial. She stalks Arturo only because he is handsome. And she seems to be blissfully unaware that she can be considered superficial until Arturo points it out to her.
The film is also extremely self-aware. Marta declares that her story is much different from what the audience is used to seeing on screen: pretty girls dealing with terminal illnesses and still managing to look beautiful. ‘Out of My League’ is indeed not ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ or ‘A Walk to Remember.’ It subverts the genre and tells a story that is unconventional and bittersweet. The film also raises awareness about a rare condition that not many have heard of. Evidently, ‘Out of My League’ is not based on a true story, but it’s perfectly understandable if someone thinks it is.
Read More: Out of My League Ending, Explained
