Many new films have come and gone this January, but an old film featuring blue aliens has kept its hold on the box office. This weekend, Kristen Bell [KBELL} attempts to break the spell with When in Rome [WROME].
Bell has had steady success since breaking through with her cult television hit Veronica Mars. She has sustained herself with Gossip Girl and Heroes for television and proved a solid supporter in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Couple’s Retreat. This weekend, Bell takes a stab at headlining her own romantic comedy hoping to knock Avatar out of first place.
When in Rome stars Bell as a single successful New Yorker named Beth who doesn’t have much luck with romance. Not only does she find out her most recent ex is engaged but her younger sister is having a grand wedding in Rome. She finds her way to Europe to attend the romantic event. In hopes of finding love, Bell picks up a bunch of coins at a fountain of love. The men who had tossed in those coins are now hopelessly in love with her, she must figure which one is real love. Luckily for her, one of those men is Josh Duhamel [JDUHA], who is also starring in his headlining vehicle. Duhamel attends the wedding from the groom’s side and meets Beth where a game of love begins. Meanwhile, a motley crew of Romeos stops at nothing to win Bell’s hand.
While not an earth shattering departure in the way of a romantic comedy, When in Rome is a foil to all the dark action thrillers released in recent weeks. The entertaining cast of Bell, Duhamel, Dax Shepard [DSHEP], Will Arnett [WARNT], Jon Heder [JHEDE], Alexis Dziena, and Angelica Huston [AHUST] as Beth’s boss should deliver on a straightforward romcom. The location of Rome should draw those hoping to escape from the January gloom.
When in Rome may be forgettable, but nonetheless, it’s a lighthearted couple of hours departure from all the high tech actioners.
Tag(s): WROME, JDUHA, DSHEP, JHEDE, AHUST