REVIEW: When in Rome (2010)
When in Rome
Starring: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 91 minutes
My Rating: 2 stars
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When in Rome is as good as the team for which Nick (Josh Duhamel) once played – below .500 and not much better.
It's hard to make a compelling film when the subject is preposterous love. But that's what director Mark Steven Johnson set out to do.
What he gives us is a mess of unfathomable circumstances where, among other problems, all lost loves reside in New York City.
Beth (Kristen Bell) has to go to Rome, Italy. I know I said lost love was in New York, and you'll see why. She's there to attend her sister's shotgun-like wedding to a love drunk Italian.
While there she dances with Nick, a New Yorker who spends as much time worrying about his job as a columnist as she does her job as a curator. How he knows the hunky Italian man is a mystery.
But so is a lot in this film.
Beth develops a strong attraction while at the wedding reception, but on her first chance to make a move, sees him kissing another woman.
The logical action is, of course, to jump into the fountain of love and “save” the men who wished for love by taking coins out of the fountain. The problem is that once you do this, these men who first threw the coins fall for you.
The probability that four of the five coins she removes from the fountain in Rome belong to men in New York City is absurdly high. The probably of a wishing well containing all coins from men is also absurdly high. We aren't talking reality here, nor is that the point.
The point of When in Rome is to dull your mind and take you on a fairy-tale journey for adults. I'd rather spend that time watching Serendipity for that.
I also want to know why Beth, an undeniably beautiful blond, cannot find a man or why Nick, the handsome, charming, tan man with an impeccable jawline can't find a woman. It's no matter because this movie doesn't seem to address the underlying psychological dilemmas these two attractive people must have to be so unlucky in love. The prettiest girl at the bar is alone for a reason. Perhaps it's because she jumped in a fountain, did a ritualistic dance, and stole coins. Yes, she was sober.
The remaining cast is normal by comparison. They just wanted love. Unfortunatey Johnson makes them appear like escapees from the nearest psyche ward.
First, there's John Heder as the magician. In his bag of tricks is the upside-down hanging mummy escape. Creepy is too light a word.
Next, there's Will Arnet, the most attractive of the bunch, who is made into an overtly homosexual street artist.
Dax Shepard plays a man more in love with himself than any woman. He is annoying and could be absent from the screen without further degrading this already rotting film.
Lastly, there's Danny Devito as “The Sausage King.” How Beth doesn't jump for him is a question for the ages.
None seem to change or learn much of anything throughout the film. Neither did I, as a matter of fact. Actually, I did learn something. I learned that when choosing between When in Rome and the countless other romantic comedies about to hit theaters, go for any of the others.
Ask yourself why When in Rome released a full two weeks ahead of Valentine's weekend. When you come to the conclusion that it is because it's not worth watching, you can take solace in saving that ticket price for another week for something far better.
I'm concerned, however, with the number of laughs I heard in the theater as Nick and the rest of the crew jumped through various hoops to win over Beth. I am disturbed because When in Rome doesn't advance the genre, doesn't stand out in the genre, and is yet another forgettable film from the month of February.
There are no twists, no spoilers and nothing that will take you by surprise. It is, by all accounts, a paint-by-numbers, safe romantic comedy. It is charming. It has moments that are very funny. The car ride stands out. In the end, though, as the credits roll, a faint smile may appear on your face, but by the time you've exited the theater, the plot and characters evaporate.
They are, like the depth of love shown in the film, fleeting. It was fun one time around, just don't call back.
