“When in Rome” isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it’s not that good either. When the scenery takes center stage in a movie, you know you’ve got a problem. First, there’s the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, where Beth (Kristen Bell) works as a curator, charged with putting together a huge charity event. The spiral set up of the museum’s displays is unique and provides an intriguing setting for many of the movie’s scenes. Then things shift to Rome (beautiful) where Beth’s sister Joan (Alexis Dziena) is getting married. There, Beth as maid of honor meets best man, Nick (Josh Duhamel). Under the influence of too much wine, Beth challenges the Fountain of Love, swiping five coins. She later discovers that she had cursed herself and the men who threw those five coins into the fountain become her besotted suitors. Among her sudden admirers are Danny DeVito, Dax Shepard, Jon Heder and Will Arnett. Nick is among them, too, but he insists his feelings are real.
Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel are certainly beautiful people and they look spectacular together. Unfortunately, because the script by David Diamond and David Weissman calls for numerous pratfalls and inane dialogue, it’s hard to see any chemistry between them. The plot, a young woman being stalked by four crazy suitors, becomes overly repetitious and tiresome. And there’s little character development even within the confines of the rom-com genre. So if you are in the mood for something light (very light, almost mindless), “When in Rome” might be what you’re looking for. However, you should probably wait until it’s on cable. 2/2/10
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