Woody Allen
To Rome With Love

There are probably already 10,000 reviews of this film on DeBaser, but I don't care. I need to write: maybe because I'm really becoming a graphomaniac, or maybe because tonight I need a distraction. Yes, even writing on DeBaser can be a distraction.

Four stories distinctly separate but "told" simultaneously: Woody Allen (a retired music manager) flies overseas with his wife (a shrink, can you believe it!) to meet his daughter's future husband and his parents; Roberto Benigni (a regular employee with a wife, kids, and a "gray" and ordinary life) suddenly becomes famous; the life of Jesse Eisenberg (an architecture student) takes a strange turn for a few days due to the arrival of his girlfriend's best friend from Los Angeles and a purely casual encounter with a famous architect; a newlywed couple from Pordenone intends to move to the Capital but, upon arriving here, encounters "some" unexpected events.

The backdrop of all this is Rome: its magical historic center, its alleys, its squares, its ancient ruins.

Even in "To Rome With Love," we have the psychological introspection of the characters (particularly in the story featuring Jesse Eisenberg) typical of all Woody Allen films. Everything revolves, once again, around psychoanalysis. The complexity of the human psyche, the various interpretations of certain behaviors, the human being and its complications in all fields.

The four stories touch the absurd, the antics of the individual protagonists are decidedly improbable, which makes the film funny. The situations manage to make the audience laugh. However, it's reflective laughter: ironic scenes (therefore not comedic) that, in their absurdity, hold some truth. "It really is like that if you think about it." A laugh, yes, but also a careful observation and, decidedly, a light critique of certain social habits.

Overall, a well-executed film. It met my expectations. Not a masterpiece, but for "intelligent" amusement, it's ideal. Brilliant insights regarding the four plots, spot-on shots of the Eternal City. Originality in everything, perhaps a little less in the story of the Architecture student (a bit predictable).

The only flaw: perhaps Benigni's character is not very suitable for the actor... Even though, it vaguely reminds one of the clumsy characters of Loris from "Il Mostro" and Dante from "Johnny Stecchino."

An exceptional cast including, indeed, Roberto Benigni to Antonio Albanese, from Alec Baldwin to Penélope Cruz.

“'The Colosseum: incredible that it has lasted for thousands of years when Sally and I have to repaint the bathroom every six months”.