When In Rome – An unforgettable film (well, sort of)

When In Rome – An unforgettable film (well, sort of)
Posted on January 25, 2011 by abigail
Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, David diamond, David Weissman

Stars: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Sheppard, Danny Devito

Rating: 1 Star

There are two kinds of unforgettable films – those you won’t forget because of their cinematic greatness and then there are those that stick to the deepest recesses of your memory for their lameness. One such film of the latter kind is Touchstone Pictures’ release When In Rome. If you google the Top Ten Worst Films of 2010, When In Rome will definitely be on everyone’s list. It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it falls short in eliciting laughs from the audience because of unfunny gags and trying-hard-to-be-funny characters.

The film is about a beautiful woman who excels in her career but sucks in the romance department. Sounds familiar, right? Only much-thought comedic sequences can compensate for such a trite plot, and unfortunately writer/director Mark Steven Johnson et al fail to come up with (not even) passably funny gags.

When In Rome stars Kristen Bell as art curator Beth and Duhamel as Nick Beamon, the hunky yet clumsy man who falls for pretty Beth. They seem to hit it off when they meet in the romantic city of Rome where Beth’s sister is getting married. And Beth, who apparently has given up finding the perfect partner, is willing to take a chance with Nick but catches him kissing a woman. Disappointed and drunk she frolics in the “fountain of love”, and there and then decides to take the coins plus a poker chip thrown by people who evidently want some romance luck. The result? The owners of the coins magically fall in love with her.

Instantly, she becomes the target of four ardent admirers played by Heder, Sheppard, Arnett, and DeVito. Her admirers follow her to New York resulting to (oftentimes mirthless) chaos until she discovers that to break the spell she has to return the coins to the owners. But, alas, the coins are stolen from her! Her mission? Take back the coins with the help of her suitors, and finally returns them to her enthusiastic groupie. And the poker chip? The chip is the catch in the story.

Beth, who realizes that she has fallen in love with Nick, thinks that the chip belongs to Nick and thus he’s never been truly in love with her. After some twists and turns, which fail to maneuver the film into an interesting rom-com ending, the couple finally ties the knot and good, ol’ Nick proves his love to Beth in the same fountain where it all started.

When In Rome is probably the reason why Duhamel acted like a douchebag late last year during his flight to Kentucky. He reportedly refused to turn off his phone after repeatedly being asked by the flight crew. Can’t blame the guy. I mean, if you starred in a film like When In Rome, you’d probably be in uncooperative mood for a long time.

Out of 5 stars, When In Rome receives a star. The rating is as puny as the car the characters have squeezed into in one of movie’s failed attempts to be funny.