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Life is a matter of perspective, Woody Allen seems to be telling us in his follow-up to last year's delightful success Midnight in Paris. In this new geographic location he gives us a smattering of diverse perspectives—new retiree, newlywed, ordinary citizen, hounded celebrity.
But first we are greeted by an Italian traffic cop standing in the middle of a roundabout directing the crush of cars. As he tells us that "in this city, all is a story," and gets distracted with chattering away to the camera, chaos ensues and we hear an off-screen crash. Unfortunately, it's a bad omen for To Rome with Love.
Our new retiree is Woody himself, playing Jerry, a neurotic former opera director who was too avant-garde for his time—and for most people with taste. He travels to Rome with his dour wife, Phyllis (Judy Davis), to meet their daughter's new Italian beau, a handsome idealist whose mortician father Giancarlo (real-life tenor Fabio Armiliato) has the singing voice of an angel. Jerry overhears him singing in the shower one day, and his creative juices begin to flow.
Jack (Jesse Eisenberg) is an architecture student whose contentment with life is gradually challenged when his girlfriend's self-absorbed gal-pal Monica (Ellen Page) comes for a visit on the heels of a painful breakup. While Jack is drawn into her web, he's graced with wise and snarky advice from John (Alec Baldwin), a famed American architect who has returned to his old stomping grounds to reminisce.
Antonio and Milly are young Italian newlyweds coming to the big city so Antonio can interview for a job with his uncle's firm. But a series of mishaps and misunderstandings transform the trip into a series of surprising adventures.
And finally, we meet Leopoldo Pisanello (Roberto Benigni), an average guy stuck in a boring rut who suddenly finds himself famous. As he's constantly hounded by nosy members of the press, Leopoldo's thoughts about fame begin to shift.
The only thing that seems to unite these diverse characters is the way they are all enticed by something—discovering the next great act, wooing the forbidden woman, living in the big city, being a celebrity. And where better to yearn and be dazzled than in the Eternal City.
These concurrent story lines also all show some sort of yin and yang perspective. Jerry thinks he's found his next big thing (and a way of out of his dreaded retirement) in Giancarlo, but is dumbfounded when he doesn't want to be known. Jack thinks Monica is alluring and sexy, while John sees through her lines and manipulations. Antonio and Milly have conflicting expectations of themselves and each other in their brand new marriage. And Leopoldo quickly finds the luster of celebrity starting to tarnish.
So what is Allen trying to communicate here? All that glitters isn't gold? Most young people are idiotic dreamers? Romantic relationships should be less restrictive? Fame is silly and costly? Maybe all of that. Maybe none of that. It all gets kind of muddled and confusing, like that Italian roundabout in the opening scene. Too frenetic and clever for its own good.
That's not to say there aren't some genuinely funny moments. Allen's hangdog humor is in fine form, like when he says that he can't unclench during airplane turbulence because he's an atheist. Instead of Allen's typical older man trying to seduce a younger woman, it's utterly delightful to see Alec Baldwin as the wise older man poking holes in twenty-something Monica's game. The comedy of errors between the newlyweds is so convoluted it's impressive. And Leopoldo offers us some tasty, and at times ironic, zingers about Hollywood and celebrity.
Sadly, Allen offers us his characteristic dim view of fidelity. Extracurricular sex can be educational and even good for a marriage, he posits here. And spouses of famous people simply understand that their beloved will have many bedfellows. Sigh.
Like many of the characters in the movie, I too was enticed; dazzled by the clever romp that was Midnight in Paris, hopeful that Rome would indeed inspire love. But like the many plot lines, I came away with conflicting perspectives. To Rome is cheeky and clever, but also frenetic and flawed. Less like love, more like mild affection.
Talk About It
Discussion starters- Why do you think Allen includes the narrator traffic cop? What role does he play?
- List the many differing opinions about fame that the various characters hold. What shapes these opinions? Do any of them change throughout the film? Which of these views is closest to your own?
- Talk about the relationship between Jack and John. What do they represent? What has John learned that Jack hasn't?
- How do Antonio and Milly change throughout the film? How do you think their relationship might be different moving forward?
- Do you see any other uniting themes in these various characters and story lines?
The Family Corner
For parents to considerTo Rome with Love is rated R for some sexual references. Newlywed Antonio's friends hire a prostitute for him, and though at first he declines her services, he eventually relents for the sake of getting a little education (we don't actually see any of this encounter). She's in a racy little slip/dress for the entire movie. Monica describes past sexual experiences—including some lesbian encounters—in some detail. Newly famous—and longtime married—Leopoldo beds several different women. His wife simply understands this comes with the territory for celebrities. There's no real nudity, language, or violence in the film.
Photos © Sony Pictures Classics
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