Amusing Update of Fellini's "White Sheik"

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2014)

TO ROME WITH LOVE is a portmanteau film paying more than a passing homage to Fellini's 1952 classic WHITE SHEIK. The plot concerning the the young married couple Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) and Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) visiting the city for the first time and becoming separated has been directly borrowed from the earlier film. Antonio has an elaborate program of events, including a visit to the Vatican as well as an encounter with elderly relatives; once Milly has disappeared, he does not know what to do until hooker Anna (Penelope Cruz) agrees to play the role of his wife. Meanwhile Milly meets her favorite movie actor Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese) and almost goes to bed with him. This is perhaps the best part of Allen's film: the other plots, while being mildly entertaining, are largely unmemorable, save for the farcical sight of Giancarlo (Fabio Armilato) singing on stage in an opera production staged by Jerry (Woody Allen) while showering himself at the same time. There is a perfectly logical explanation for this: Giancarlo can only reveal his true vocal talent in the shower, so the shower has to be constructed wherever he appears, even if it is in the middle of an opera house. TO ROME WITH LOVE makes some familiar points about Rome's peculiar fascination; its history, its color and its capacity to charm most of its residents, as well as tourists. Darius Khondji's lush cinematography, with its soft reds, blues and yellows, reinforces that impression. In this kind of world, people should just relax and accept whatever happens to them: triumph and disappointment should be treated equally. Middle-aged architect John (Alec Baldwin) learned that lesson long ago; his younger counterpart Jack (Jesse Eisenberg) realizes the same thing when his itinerant girlfriend Monica (Ellen Page) leaves at very short notice for Los Angeles. After a triumphant debut at the opera house, Giancarlo opts for a life of happy domesticity, while Jerry returns to a life of retirement. TO ROME WITH LOVE might be a slight piece, but it is filmed and performed with a considerable degree of élan, and is well worth watching.