Review of Room in Rome (2010) by Erwin M — 15 Mar 2011

Two women meet in Rome, go to one's hotel room, and must navigate a labyrinth of their lies and insecurities on their way to love.

I must admit that the original allure of this film was that it was alluring, the original attraction the attractiveness of its stars. But as I watched it, I wondered about the line between a sexy film about sex and a movie that degrades into pornography. I think because the actresses, who spend most of the first two acts naked, seem comfortable with the content, they make the film's audience comfortable as well; likewise, I never thought the filmmakers were attempting to provoke a sexual response in the audience, rather honestly portraying its characters' sexuality.

It would be a disservice to their talents to call Elena Anaya and Natasha Yarovenko beautiful because their performances easily over-shadow their beauty. These actresses are emotionally naked as well as physically, and even as their characters lie, the performances are true, revealing the insecurities that lead to their lies.

I did think the film wandered and meandered a bit in the third act and overused a thematically appropriate song. A good fifteen minutes could have been cut without causing too much bleeding.

Overall, Room in Rome is a sexy, well-made drama and worth the time during both the day and late night.