When In Rome

Review by K. Blankenship for When In Rome
Rating:
So, I realize that I am writing this right when it shows up in theaters, but I decided to go ahead and rate the movie based on the actual movie (not the DVD), because alot of times I will go on here to see what other people are saying about the movie, before I go see it. So, I decided to do that for this movie.

Overall, I enjoyed When in Rome. It’s a great chick-flick.

When in Rome tells the story of Beth (Kristen Bell) who, while visiting Rome for her younger sister’s wedding, realizes that she may never actually settle down because no man has ever ranked above her job. So, in a drunken craze, she visits the Fountain of Love and removes several coins from the fountain’s water. This brings five guys (Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Danny Devito, and most importantly Josh Duhamel) into her life…all of whom have fallen madly in love with her. She has to figure out a way to break this spell, while also trying to figure out whether or not some of those feelings may be for real.

As I said, overall it was an enjoyable movie. It is one of those movies that you have to accept that it’s not supposed to happen in real life. I mean, it’s all about magic and falling in love with the right people. It does have funny enough parts to keep a guy entertained, but it is definitely a chick flick that I recommend. It made me want to visit Italy and find this so-called Fountain of Love.

Review by Lawrance M. Bernabo for When In Rome
Rating:
When a film has a title like this you expect that most of the movie is going to take place in the Eternal City, but actually most of the action takes place in New York City. Kristen Bell plays Beth, the most junior curator at the Guggenheim Museum, where she works for Celeste (Anjelica Huston in Mirinda Priestly mode). Beth loves her job and is much too busy for love, even when it is the impromptu wedding of her kid sister (Alexis Dziena) in Rome and especially when she is responsible for the museum’s big gala for its rich patrons. But she dutifully jets over to Italy for the wedding to be her sister’s maid of honor and almost connects with the best man, Nick (Josh Duhamel), with his limited ability to translate English into Italian. In a moment of drunken despair, Beth climbs into the “fountain of love” (think a fictional Trevi Fountain), and randomly picks up five coins, one of which is a poker chip, to “save” the pitiful souls who tossed them in to find love. However, Beth then learns that according to legend, if you take coins from the fountain, the owner of the coin will fall in love with you. Unfortunately, Beth learns this when she is back in New York, and, in one of those remarkable coincidences that are all too often the staple of such films, it turns out that the owners of those coins are in the Big Apple too. Not only that, they all cross Beth’s path and begin professing their undying love. Wackiness ensues.

It was interesting to watch “When In Rome” on DVD the same week we watched “Leap Year,” because both movies are ultimately disappointing romantic comedies, but I feel better about this one with Kristen Bell than I did about the one with Amy Adams, even though as a rule I tend to be more disdainful of the sillier movie. It might have to do with the expectations game. I was expecting more from “Leap Year,” and less from “When in Rome,” so the film that exceeded expectations is going to stand out against the film that failed. Bell’s Beth is in the pivotal role of being pretty much the sanest person in the movie, while the insanity swirls around her, and she never really seems to notice that in the sanity department Nick is a close second. Beth says she does not believe in magic any more than she believes in love, but she is quick to jump to the conclusion about the former while putting off second thoughts regarding the latter. Basically the plot complications and comic confusion in this film are what passes for the impediments to the leads living happily ever after sooner rather than later.

Screenwriters David Diamond and David Weissman teamed up in the past to write “The Family Man,” so there is a bit of a disconnect as to how they could have forgotten to give this 2010 film more of a heart, although it gets close when Danny DeVito’s character explains what you have to do for someone you really love (even if the real love is induced by magic). When a film’s big finish hinges on the audience not recognizing that one poker chip looks the same as two other poker chips, that is not a good sign. Once again we have a movie that it set up for the sort of “grand gesture” that I require in my romantic comedies, but this film fails to deliver and the fault lies at the feet of the screenwriters and not director Brett Ratner, who also helmed “The Family Man.” That was not a great movie, but it was a lot more solid than this one. Also, while I am throwing stones, the cover art of Bell for the DVD does not acurately reflect her character. That might be the way Bell is, especially when she breaks into dance moves when scenes become fodder for the blooper real, but that ain’t what Beth is like.

There are some laughs in this one, not only because Will Arnett, Jon Heder, and Dax Shepard play the other silly suitors, but also because some of the silliness actually works, or, maybe, I am just a sucker for putting half the cast in a tiny car, especially if that car ends up not only going forward but up. I also happen to like it when the cast gets together in the end credits of a comedy and boogies; there can be more of that in those sort of films these days. Still, there will be some who be more annoyed by the zaniness, even with Bell providing a solid anchor in the tradition of Mary Tyler Moore. Ironically, the biggest laugh we had from a movie this year came while watching this film, but that was only because as Beth was about to give a verbal coup de gras to her most annoying suitor, I actually said the line out loud right before she did. Not exactly a G.M.T.A. moment, but certainly the most memorable part of watching it for us.

Review by Dave for When In Rome
Rating:
Leads Kristen Bell & Josh Duhamel have fantastic chemistry in this very light romantic comedy; however, the supporting cast is even more impressive: Anjelica Huston, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson, Peggy Lipton, Dax Shephard, as well as the duo from Napoleon Dynamite Jon Heder & Efren Ramirez (Vote Pedro!). Here’s the plot: Beth (Kristen Bell) puts her career at the Guggenheim first since her love life has continually left her burned. Things begin to change when she meets the best man, Nick (Duhamel) at her sister’s wedding in Rome. Unknowingly, by taking 5 coins from the Fountain of Love during a drunken romp, she causes 5 men to fall madly in love with her. All 5 follow her back to America and stalk her…until she is able to return the coins to them to break the spell. Although she loves Nick, she discovers that his love might have been caused by one of the coins; should she return the coin to him or live without fear that he will leave her? The plot is very predictable, so not a lot of surprises, but the comedy from her suitors as they attempt to impress her provides most of the hijinks here. Heder as an amateur Criss Angel magician is definitely the funniest of the bunch.

Overall, the film is enjoyable even if predictable; a little uneven, it goes from insightful comedy & drama into downright stupidity all in the same scene. In the hands of a more experienced director, this one really could have been much better and with the talented cast, it’s a real crime that the opportunity for perfection was missed. I would recommend this movie mainly to the teen/early 20′s group who seems to have really enjoyed it the most.

SPECS:

91 minutes * Video: Widescreen 1080p, 2:35:1, Enhanced for 16×9 TVs. Audio: Dolby TrueHD (48kh2/24-bit) & 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound (Bluray); English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound & Spanish & French Dolby Digital 2.0 (DVD). Languages: English, Spanish, and French. Subtitles: Spanish & French.

I actually enjoyed the extras almost as much (if not more) than the movie.

DVD Bonus Features:

-Kerplunk! Bloopers from Rome (3 minutes): You really get a sense that the cast worked well together and was having fun during the entire shoot in this medley of expected flubs from the making of this film.

-Deleted Scenes (7 minutes on Blu-ray): Usually I feel the deleted scenes were correctly removed from a film; however, in this case, there are some that would have added some extra humor, including a very funny bit with Dax Shepard in front of an Abercrombie & Fitch store.

-Music Videos: “Starstrukk” by 3OH3! with Katy Perry RT and “Stupid Love Letter” by Friday Night Boys RT.

Additional Extras on Bluray:

-Alternate Opening & Ending (7 minutes) (these were wisely not used!)

-Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From The Set (12 minutes): We meet our hilarious cast and crew that brought this film to life

-Extended Scenes (3 minutes): Pain with the Suitors. Deleted sequence showing the final exhibit at the Guggenheim with the suitors providing a few funny moments, some which would have been great in the finished film (especially an electric chair sequence with Jon Heder).

-Additional Deleted Scenes (7 minutes of deleted scenes total on the Blu-ray): The deleted scenes on the Blu-ray are Getting Married, Playing Cat & Mouse (cute Danny DeVito bit), Setting the Record Straight, Throwing Out The Mummy, It’s The Naked Lady, The Saddest Thing, Look Both Ways, Suitors Make A Scene.

Sneak Previews: Alice in Wonderland, ESPN World Cup 2010, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Lost: The Complete Sixth And Final Season, and On Blu-Ray Disc

There is some adult humor and some mild (I mean mild!) sexual situations that would make this film not a great fit for the wee ones. Other than the paintings, there is no nudity in this film.