Far from Allen's best, but undeniably entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2012)

'To Rome, with Love' is pretty darn close to a mess. Even those who very much like the movie (including me) should admit that. Yet, it's also hilarious and one of the most entertaining films of 2012. The odds are, you will see half a dozen films this year better than 'To Rome, with Love', but you won't enjoy them as much, and/or they won't be as much fun. It honestly had the potential almost to be a B-movie, except it wasn't actually bad.
I wished that the stories had intertwined a little bit more. Having Jesse Eisenberg's character meet Woody Allen's character would've been great. The problem with non-intertwining stories is, difficult it becomes to put yourself in the lives of all these different characters. Sometimes, it felt like I was only watching the people instead of actually being able to put myself in their shoes. That said, some of the stories require treatment like that.
Take the "paparazzi story" as an example, where a worker suddenly finds himself famous. I thought this premise was brilliant; but at the same time, the execution was overlong...we get it. Satire on how someone doing everyday things will get in the paper as long as they're a household name...but that's mostly all we get every time Allen decides to switch back to this guy's story. However, I will say that the scene with his wife's torn stockings being mentioned on the red carpet is downright hilarious.
I liked the story with Woody, and it was nice to see him acting in his own film, which he hasn't done since 'Scoop'. It was a bit silly, but still creative. I'd say that one has the greatest one-liners ("you're figuring that in Euros, in American Dollars it's much less"). It has a jesting, visual style of humor that worked well.
The story with Penelope Cruz had a subtle and well-executed twist near the end, and it was mildly funny but not as much as the one with Allen's acting. I felt that the Jesse Eisenberg story was very stylish, despite being another one where you felt like you were just watching them.
Overall, I'd say that 'To Rome, with Love' is guaranteed to be one of the most enjoyable films of the year, even though it has very little cohesiveness; none of the stories are really expansive enough for a feature-length film. At times, certain elements are silly and borderline implausible, yet the film stays fresh with great cinematography and visuals of Rome, as well as sufficient comedy. Nearly a mess, but a surprisingly charming one at that.