When in Rome: All Roads Lead to "Flop"

Despite Hollywood’s recent attempts to inject the rom-com genre with a dose of pizzazz by showing off exotic locations, i.e., Alaska (The Proposal), Ireland (Leap Year), and now Rome, the flare of foreign places is simply not sufficient enough to keep the films afloat. All of the necessary ingredients for a foolproof, frothily fun romance are present in When in Rome: attractive couple, wacky, less attractive friends and sidekicks, and stubborn roadblocks in the way of a fairytale ending. However, the best recipes require time and attention, two components this film neglected to mix in – or even sprinkle on.

Kristin Bell is Beth, a hardworking curator at the Guggenheim Museum who, you guessed it, is disillusioned with love. When in Rome for her younger sister’s wedding, she is bewitched by a Prince Charming of a best man, Nick, played effortlessly by Josh Duhamel. The sparks bouncing between them just minutes into the movie may make one wonder what could possibly go wrong, but with three acts left to fill, a little magic is all it will take to muck things up for the pretty pair.

Leaving the church, Beth is led to think her potential soul mate is a pathetic playboy, which consequently leads her to the Fontane di Amore (fancy for, “Fountain of Love”) where she dips her feet in its water and drowns her sorrows with booze. While drunkenly traipsing about the fountain in her disheveled bridesmaid gown, Beth fishes out five coins, unwittingly stealing five men’s wishes and casting an aphrodisiacal spell on them. What ensues is an unfunny introduction to a quartet of outlandish suitors including a tortured artist (Will Arnett), a sausage mogul (Danny DeVito), a creepy street magician (Jon Heder) and a narcissistic model (Dax Shepard). As each weirdo tries incessantly to woo the frenzied damsel, Nick begins his own pursuit despite his questions surrounding her fanatical followers. As she falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his coin is also in her possession.

The flatness of the jokes and heavy-handed slapstick are occasionally relieved by sporadic bouts of genuine comical acuity. One such example is a scene in which Nick takes Beth to a hip restaurant that requires diners eat in the dark as part of a transcendental effort to heighten all other senses. Their waitress, played by the always wonderful Kristen Schall (Flight of the Conchords), brightens the dark setting with her indefinable charm and perfectly adds amusing awkwardness to the date. However, the breath of fresh, funny air is quickly dissipated by the band of crazed stalkers who somehow know where Beth is at any given minute (In an earlier scene, Beth goes home to discover Jon Heder in the center of her apartment performing an escape stunt with Efren Ramirez, of Napoleon Dynamite fame, recording the feat nearby).

The film tries far too hard to garner laughs – how many times do we have to see Josh Duhamel run into a tree, fall into a pit, or hear about him being struck by lightning to realize he’s a clumsy chap with poor luck? A scene in which Beth tries to break a wedding vase to express her enthusiasm for her sister’s nuptials drags on until the vessel is finally bashed into a hundred pieces with not a single chuckle to show for it. Ms. Bell is likable enough, but whether or not she has the sass of Sandra Bullock or the sweetheart appeal of Meg Ryan is yet to be seen. For now, your coins would be put to better use thrown in a fountain than spent on a ticket to this movie.

1.5 out of 5 stars