Review: To Rome with Love (2012)

Baldwin, Page, and Eisenberg in Rome

Directed by Woody Allen
Produced by Faruk Alatan, Letty Aronson, Giampaolo Letta, and Stephen Tenenbaum
Written by Woody Allen
Starring Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, and Ellen Page

**1/2

Last year, Woody Allen did a little film set in Paris that won him his fourth Oscar. This year he looks at Rome in a less effective and less charming vehicle. Featuring a solid cast, the film follows a series of couples throughout their misadventures and indiscretions in the Eternal City. The couple that opens and closes the movie is Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti) and Hayley (Alison Pill), who are in love and who do not have much conflict. They are pushed aside for Hayley's parents Jerry (Allen) and Phyllis (Davis). Jerry is determined to turn Michelangelo's father (opera tenor Fabio Armiliato) into a star singer, and both couples struggle with the effect it has on Michelangelo's family. Meanwhile, Jack (Eisenberg) cheats on Sally (Gerwig) with the poser Monica (Page), as John (Baldwin) looks on and advises him. While this occurs, newlyweds Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) and Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) cheat on each other with Anna (Cruz) and movie star Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese). Also, a working family man named Leopoldo (Benigni) rises to fame for no apparent reason, only to fall from it. Needless to say, a lot goes on before the couples fall back into each other's arms.

Despite all of these storylines, the movie is not overlong. Allen knows how to make a light ensemble comedy without overstaying his welcome. The cast is just right for the roles, which play on some of their type-cast characteristics, and they do have nice chemistry. Though the film has no real grit to its story, this is what most of Allen's comedies are like, and that is okay. Of course, it feels as if Allen is not trying very hard with this farce. Light comedy is fine, but light Woody Allen comedy is overkill. There was no spark, no connection to these characters. They were not lovable or empathetic like some of his other creations. Some of the dialogue attempted humor, yet it seems like Allen could write this in his sleep, given the number of light comedies he has done. Every now and then, Allen makes a great movie. Although this is not one of those, it is entertaining, and it's a lighthearted film that can be enjoyed if not fully lauded for its efforts.

Oscar Potential: Best Original Screenplay

TO ROME WITH LOVE

TO ROME WITH LOVE
Written and Directed by Woody Allen
Starring Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz and Woody Allen


Jack: What’s so great about suffering?
Monica: There’s just something attractive about a man who is plagued by the perils of existence.

Woody Allen remains true to form with his latest international comedy TO ROME WITH LOVE. And by that I mean that he has followed up a genuine hit with a complete misfire. This is Allen’s pattern after all. On occasion, he gets it just right and many people thought he did just that with last year’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. The Oscar winner for Original Screenplay is not my favourite Allen film by any means, but it did certainly enchant with its whimsical look at Paris and people from a cross-generational perspective. His latest hopes to achieve that same success in Rome, but it is such a disconnected collage of familiar Allen talking points that I don’t see the masses swooning this time around. And sadly, if history continues to repeat itself, we will be in store for a few more Allen misses before another hit.

I’m not really sure where to begin with TO ROME WITH LOVE. Alec Baldwin plays an architect vacationing in his former stomping grounds and Jesse Eisenberg is, what I interpret as, a younger version of himself. Baldwin revisits his past by observing Eisenberg (the character Allen himself said he would have liked to play, y’know, if he was fifty years younger) as he waffles between passion (Ellen Page) and stability (Greta Gerwig). Alison Pill referees between her new fiancé, Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti), and her parents (Judy Davis and Allen, making his first film appearance since SCOOP, another real winner), as Allen tries to make Antonio’s father (famed tenor, Fabio Armiliato) into a famous opera singer by staging him in shows where he sings in a shower. Meanwhile, Penelope Cruz plays a prostitute who is mistaken for the new wife of a young businessman (Alessandro Tiberi). They parade around the city with his family while his actual wife (Alessandra Mastronardi) remains perpetually lost in Rome. And then, as if the rest of it wasn’t absurd enough, Roberto Benigni plays a nobody who suddenly and inexplicably becomes an overnight sensation, his every move, from breakfast to bedtime, becomes public fascination. As individual parts, they are more or less amusing and occasionally very witty, but as a whole, they never cohesively come together to mean anything substantial.

TO ROME WITH LOVE was originally called, “Nero Fiddled”. The name change itself exposes what I believe to be the only major selling point about this movie. Clearly, the hope was that those who fell in love with Allen in Paris would do the same in Rome, which is, of course, just as picturesque. The reality is that there will certainly be more interest in this film as a result, but once those patrons get there, I doubt very much they will feel the warmth and charm they are expecting. Before long, everyone who celebrated Allen last year after years of denouncing him as over, will probably find themselves wondering if his late in life romp through Paris, was just a fluke.

The Black Sheep Summer Movie Previews

With THE AVENGERS now officially smashing records in theatres around the world, there is no denying that the summer movie season is officially upon us. As a film critic, the summer is always an iffy time for me. I am all for big budget blockbusters; I like to shut my mind off and chill out just like the rest of you. Unfortunately, turning off these days is often not good enough for Hollywood. It seems to enjoy some of today's summer movies, one has to actually lower their intelligence to get on board. That's where I usually draw the line, y'know, while I still know how to do so. And so I scoured this summer's calendar and the following is a list of 10 titles I am betting will prove that a great summer movie doesn't have to be dumb to be enjoyed. In order of expected release ...

MOONRISE KINGDOM
Directed by Wes Anderson
May 25




I'm a big Wes Anderson fan so anytime he comes out with a new film, I'm going to be excited for it. With a cast like this, how can I not be?

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
Directed by Rupert Sanders
June 1




After that last Snow White movie, I'm ready to see the story be given a real chance to be re-imagined.

PROMETHEUS
Directed by Ridley Scott
June 8




I'll see anything with Michael Fassbender in it these days. And I love this viral video!

BRAVE
Directed by Mark Andrews
June 22




After Pixar's last offering (CARS 2), it will be refreshing to see them get back to their original roots again. Well, I hope it will be anyway.

TO ROME WITH LOVE

Directed by Woody Allen
June 22




Woody continues to travel the world and I am ready to follow him anywhere. Side note: I'm so happy to see the words, "Written & Directed by Woody Allen" to finally be proudly displayed in a trailer again.

MAGIC MIKE
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
June 29




A Channing Tatum stripper movie directed by Steven Soderbergh. Need I say more?

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Directed by Marc Webb
July 3




Amazing, indeed. Too soon for a reboot? Who cares?! It's Spider-Man! I love the cast and I'm very curious to see how the (500) DAYS OF SUMMER director holds up in the big leagues.

TED
Directed by Seth MacFarlane
July 13




MacFarlane brings his FAMILY GUY humour to the big screen for the first time and I'm skeptical but intrigued.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Directed by Christopher Nolan
July 20




This is the big one! It might be the only movie that really matters this summer. Will it match the grosses of THE DARK KNIGHT? I doubt it. Will it be even better? I'm seriously hoping!

PARANORMAN
Directed by Sam Fell
August 17




I still haven't seen an animated film this year that I liked. My money is riding on this one.

And that's it! 10 whole movies I actually want to see all summer. I'm sure there will be more that pop up along the way but that's it for now. Geez. I might actually have to spend some time, gulp, outside! Getting fresh air! And playing sports! Or I can just see THE DARK KNIGHT RISES over and over again.

Bon cinema!