[3.75/10] When in Rome (2010)

When in Rome (2010)

What could have been a clever, charming and romantic film was thoroughly debauched in this predictable, terribly-made and poorly-directed bomb. While the scenery and production design were great, one wonders why the budget does not reflect on the mediocre script. The jokes are corny and stale. Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel make a good romantic team though they're not always given ample time to make their pairing completely believable. Anjelica Huston was the film's only saving grace in the talent department. The other supporting actors are solid, with Dax Shepard, Jon Heder, Will Arnett and Danny DeVito giving some good chuckles along the ride. Full of clichés and gimmicks, "When in Rome"'s setups fall flat across the board. Beth's job being in peril and Anjelica Huston's mean boss are predictable, watching her newlywed sister in Rome cooking naked with her new husband unoriginal, and the lame attempt at making us think that somehow the two romantic leads won't end up together in the end is pandering. Kristen Bell is always a delight, but in "When in Rome", I'm sorry to say, she just did not make an impression this time. And Josh Duhamel, I don't doubt that he is a good actor, but him doing comedy looked awful - he came across trying way too hard. We've seen enough of guys and girls fall head-over-heels in a slapstick kind for way over two decades now, and "When in Rome" proved once again that Hollywood really needs some new ideas when it comes to romantic comedies.

• My Rating: 3.75/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 16% (3.3/10)
• IMDb: 5.1/10