TO ROME WITH LOVE DVD (2012)
SYNOPSIS: TO ROME WITH LOVE is a kaleidoscopic comedy movie set in one of the world’s most enchanting cities. The film brings us into contact with a well-known American architect reliving his youth; an average middle-class Roman who suddenly finds himself Rome’s biggest celebrity; a young provincial couple drawn into separate romantic encounters; and an American opera director endeavoring to put a singing mortician on stage. Well-known architect John (Alec Baldwin) is vacationing in Rome, where he once lived in his youth. Walking in his former neighborhood he encounters Jack (Jesse Eisenberg), a young man not unlike himself. As he watches Jack fall head-over-heels for Monica (Ellen Page), his girlfriend Sally’s (Greta Gerwig) dazzling and flirtatious friend, John relives one of the most romantically painful episodes of his own life. At the same moment, retired opera director Jerry (Woody Allen) flies to Rome with his wife Phyllis (Judy Davis), to meet their daughter Hayley’s (Alison Pill) Italian fiancée, Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti). Jerry is amazed to hear Michelangelo’s undertaker father, Giancarlo (renowned tenor Fabio Armiliato) singing arias worthy of La Scala while lathering up in the shower. Convinced that talent that prodigious cannot be kept hidden, Jerry clutches at the opportunity to promote Giancarlo and rejuvenate his own career. Leopoldo Pisanello (Roberto Benigni) on the other hand is an exceptionally boring guy, who wakes up one morning and finds himself one of the most famous men in Italy with many unanswered questions. Soon the paparazzi trail his every move and question his every motivation. As Leopoldo grows accustomed to the varied seductions of the limelight, he gradually realizes the cost of fame. Meanwhile, Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) has arrived from the provinces in Rome hoping to impress his straight-laced relatives with his lovely new wife Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) so that he can get an upscale big city job. Through comic misunderstanding and chance, the couple 4 is separated for the day. Antonio ends up passing off a stranger (Penélope Cruz) as his wife, while Milly is romanced by legendary movie star Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese). While Rome is a city abundant with romance and comedy, Woody Allen’s TO ROME WITH LOVE is about people having adventures that will change their lives forever.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There is a reason why Woody Allen’s career has spanned over six decades. The acclaimed director, writer, playwright and comedian has such a distinct voice of his own that no one can replicate his trademark sense of humor and sharp writing.
Finding box-office success in the European market in recent years, Allen turned to Rome in his latest directorial piece, “To Rome With Love” comprising of four vignettes starring an ensemble cast including Allen himself, Spanish sex siren Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Roberto Benigni and a bunch of talented Italian actors that are unknown to this part of the world.
Allen plays a retired opera director, Jerry who flew into Rome with his wife, Phyllis to meet their daughter’s fiancé, Michelangelo and his family. To Jerry’s surprise, Michelangelo’s caretaker dad, Giancarlo is such an accomplished opera singer in the shower that Jerry is determined to showcase his talent to the public. Populated with Allen’s best one-liners and downright silliness (the joke is Giancarlo can’t sing without his shower so he has to perform on stage with a makeshift mobile shower facility), Allen’s segment is joyous to follow and no doubt serves as the highlight out of the four.
The second interwoven story involves a successful architect, John (Alec Baldwin) visiting a former neighbourhood where he lived in his youth. It’s there where he met Jack, (Jesse Eisenberg), a young American architectural student living with his beautiful girlfriend, Sally (Greta Gerwig). Sally’s best friend, Monica (Ellen Page) is coming to Rome for a visit and during this period, Jack finds himself falling deep in love with Monica, a pretentious and indecisive wannabe actress. Is John serving as Jack’s inner voice and conscious? Or is John actually the older version of Jack? This story takes a bit of patience to follow but the result is satisfying.
The weaker segments belong to a newly married Italian couple who came to the big city for a meetup with the groom’s rich uncle. Penelope Cruz appears here playing a sexy prostitute who finds herself in the hotel room of the groom while the bride lost her way to the salon and being tempted to the bed of a veteran Italian superstar. With the occasional funny moments, it’s hard to justify what kind of marital message Allen is trying to convey here. The last story has Academy Award winner Roberto Benigni playing Leopoldo, an ordinary married office worker who wakes up one morning to find himself a famous man. Paparazzi followed him everywhere, young pretty women await to bed with him and he gets to attend grand movie premieres in chauffeured limousine. This might be Allen’s jibe at the current celebrity craze unfortunately it goes on far too long and boring.
If you have enjoyed Allen’s last effort, “Midnight In Paris” then you might be slightly disappointed by the uneven “To Rome With Love”. Still, Darius Khondji’s beautiful cinematography of Rome and Allen’s charm make up for all the clumsiness of the script.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Aided by a strong cinematography that comprises frequent shots of a clear, bright Rome, the visual is stunning and natural. Dialogue clarity is omnipresent though ambient sound effects and music is at times constrained by the 2.0 soundtrack.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
