When in Rome
Review
by Anthony Morris
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When in Rome
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Calling a film a romantic comedy isn't much of a guide when
you get down to it. Some romantic comedies are romances with a few
jokes thrown in, while others are, well, like When in Rome.
Kristen
Bell is Beth Martin, a curator at a New York art gallery who finds her
lack of a love life an advantage when it comes to getting things
done. Unfortunately, one of those things now involves
attending her sister's snap wedding in Rome, where she meets Nick (Josh
Duhamel). they hit it off, she thinks she sees him with another woman,
she gets drunk and grabs a handful of coins out of a magic fountain so
the guys who threw the coins in now fall madly in love with her.
So
while she's trying to get her relationship with Mick back on track, a
collection of creepy weirdos (including Wil Arnett, Danny DiVito, Jon
Heder and Dax Shepard) keep popping up swearing their undying love in
all matter of mildly funny ways.
This is a lot funnier than a
lot of romantic comedies out there, but it's not nearly as much fun as
your average romance-free comedy, which does leave it in a kind of
no-man's land.
Nothing here really stands out enough to tip it
over the line either : the comedians involved have all been funnier
elsewhere, and while Bell and Duhamel have plenty of charm there's
isn't exactly a relationship where you're desperate to see if they get
together in the end.
Really it's a 50 / 50 proposition - or it
is right up until the very end, where a Disney-mandated dance number
over the end credits tips it firmly into the "don't bother"
basket.
A DVD release must be right around the corner, and there's no reason why you can't wait until then. 2 out
of 5
When in Rome
Australian release: 22nd April,
2010
Official
Site: When in Rome
Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
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