To Rome with Love (2012) - Comedy

Woody Allen is one guy who never fails to amaze me, he makes one movie a year and that one movie becomes one of the most awaited movies of the year for me. To Rome with Love is no exception and what a fantastic movie it turns out to be. Right from the very first scene till the very end and even the last line will have you in splits and make you wait for another one which he promises with the last scene. What I love about all his movies is the simplistic style of narrating a regular story which will keep you hooked, make you smile, laugh, cheer, shock and entertain big time. The best part is – when he himself plays one of the characters – it becomes double the fun, I for one, have to see all his movies multiple times to enjoy them thoroughly as they are too good and too fast at least beyond my grasping power. And I love seeing them again and again – just done with first round of this one and I can tell you – its one movie you would definitely not like to miss. Run and check it out if it’s still running a theater near you but do make sure that they are showing it with subtitles as there is too much Italian in between. I had a copy with subtitles and totally loved it. Right with the opening scene he obliges his fans with a view of classic buildings of Rome, a fantastic Fiat 500 and trademark Italian Scooters. This one is not to be missed by anyone loving light hearted comedies with a damn good message – you’ve got to look out for that message almost towards the end. Do not miss it at any cost.

Alessandro Tiberi and Penelope Cruz

The Movie: It’s a fantastic combination of four different stories going at the same time with no connection in between them. The best part of the movie is its superb casting, including Woody Allen himself in one of the most important characters, the rest of the cast is too good and almost throughout the running time – you actually don’t feel that they were acting. Everyone is so comfortably fit in their characters that it looks like a cake walk for them. I was totally impressed the way he has pulled this one with those superb actors in fantastic characters – not one person for a moment looks out of place or over the top and none of the stories looked half baked. Wrapping up so much that too in just 100 odd minuets is a superb achievement and that’s called typical Woody Allen movie.

Monica Nappo and Roberto Bengini

Story 1: Woody Allen’s daughter comes to Rome as a tourist and falls for the guy who shows her direction on the very first day. He and his wife come to Rome to meet this guy’s family, who happens to be a lawyer and his father is one of the Funeral Directors. The hilarious thing was his father was a damn good singer especially when he is singing in shower. You’ve got to see what Woody does to this guy since he himself was an Opera Director but now retired. The highlight of this story is Woody Allen and his wife discussions, how and what he does to his son-in-law’s father. The way his wife, daughter, son-in-law and his father oppose him initially, give in due course of time and he succeeds in the end is simply Superb. Watch out for the classic ending.

Judy Davis and Woody Allen

Story 2: A clerk Leopold (Roberto Benigni in a fantastic role) who lives a regular life with his wife and two daughters, wakes up one fine morning and to his shock he has become a celebrity out of nowhere and media is chasing him like crazy, just to know how he slept in the night, what he had in the breakfast, what kind of underwear does he wear that day etc. He starts enjoying it, dating super models, starts attending movie premiers, he even gets his boss’s hot secretary who is supposed to entertain him throughout the day and top of that he even becomes a manager at his own office. What happens in the end to this story is heart touching and a damn good lesson in learning. I totally loved it and agree with what his Ex Driver tells him on the pavement before he goes back to his regular life. Watch out for that scene – I am sure you will love it and agree with me.

Alison Pil and Flavio Parenti

Story 3: John (Alec Baldwin) is a well known Architect who is visiting Rome with his wife and is on a vacation. He lived in Rome about 30 years back, he goes around to look for his old place where he lived and comes across Jack (Jesse Eisenberg the facebook guy), he not only lives at the same place where John lived but also studying to become and Architect as well. They hit it off pretty well and the way their story moves is totally hilarious. Jack lives with his girl friend Sally (Cute Greta Gerwig) who had invited her friend Monica (Ellen Page) to briefly stay with them. Right after their first meeting John warns Jack that Monica is going to screw his life and is over smart, still Jack doesn’t agree with him and goes around with her. What happens is totally rocking stuff – you’ve got to watch out those fantastic scenes with all of them in it and the way Alec Baldwin pulls it off. He is too good – this movie made me realize yet again that Alec Baldwin is one hell of a guy, he is so smooth in here and so comfortable, this looks like a cake walk for him yet you totally end up loving him. Even Jesse is too good in his character – the way he takes it all up and goes talking is fantastic, I like this guy. How it all ends is funny too, although predictable yet it makes you laugh.

Ellen Page, Jesse and Greta Gerwig

Story 4: Is of a newly wedded couple Antonio and Milly (Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandra Mastronardi), who move to Rome from a small town as his rich uncles promised him a job in their family’s business. After a long flight Milly wants to a hairdresser to get her hair fixed and since she has no idea of Rome, she gets lost and even loses her cell phone too. In the meantime as Antonio waits for her coming back, a prostitute Anna (Hottie Penélope Cruz) visits him – she is already paid by his friends to entertain him – that’s what she tells him. Before even he could clear the confusion his uncles and aunts come barging in the room as door was left open by Anna – to save himself he introduces Anna as his wife Milly to them. What happens next is a joy ride for audience as everything goes haywire, wherever they go and whatever they do – half the town knows Anna other than everybody else in the family as gone around with her. Penelope Cruz although in a small role still she looks ravishing in that red dress she wears throughout the movie. Even his wife Milly goes through a very interesting episode as she meets an Actor she admires and what happens with them is totally hilarious. I mean every story in this movie is so damn hilarious that it makes you laugh big time. I was surprised to see Woody Allen had stuffed so much in so less time – I so much wished it just went on and on a little bit more at least but as all good things come to an end – this one does too. But not before he promises to serve you some more from Rome. I sincerely hope he picks up a couple of more stories next year and makes another wonderful movie.