Review of To Rome with Love (2012) by Matt W — 10 Aug 2012

This is a silly film. OK it is Woody Allen, but I get the feeling Woody ought to retire because there are times when an artist runs out of ideas or his or her schtick runs its course. From where I'm sitting, that is exactly what has happened to Woody Allen.

The movie has four stories.

Story #1: Recently married couple come from their Italian village have extramarital affair that add zest their sex life. They decide to return to their village. His affair is with a prostitute, hers with a robber who had held a gun to her head until he turned out to be a nice guy.

Story #2: Young American comes to Rome and falls in love with an Italian lawyer whose father can sing opera in the shower, but can't sing when he is not showering, and so it is the young American's father comes to Italy, meets the virtuoso, and manages his career as the shower singing baritone.

Story #3: Older architect meets younger architect and becomes the young architects inner voice, or something, as he moves toward an affair with his live-in partner's best friend.

Story #4: A Roman citizen becomes famous for being - well nothing - complains about his fame - but when he loses his fame he wants it back.

The setting is Rome, but without a time line. This can be irritating if a viewer needs time as part of their reference, I know I do. We are not sure whether the honeymooners are seperated for an afternoon or some other time frame, or how long the Roman citizen is famous, or any of the other events that occur. The stories are sort of interesting, after all it is a Woody Allen film, but they lack depth and meaning.

Don't try to figure out a point, there really isn't a point. Woody has become pointless.