Several months ago a friend and I went to see a movie and we saw a preview for "When in Rome." We agreed it would make for the perfect, winter, Sunday afternoon rom-com once it hit theaters. We didn't wind up seeing it together (though it always make me think of her) and tonight I finally watched the movie (thank you, blizzard).
"When in Rome" is the story of Beth, a jaded young woman unable to believe in love. She works painfully hard at her job as the youngest curator at the Guggenheim (naturally) and finds herself furious when she is asked to serve as the maid of honor in her younger sister's wedding.
The wedding takes place in Rome where Beth learns of the fountain of love. Visitors toss coins into the fountain and wish to find "the one." In a champagne induced outburst, Beth steals coins out of the fountain and deposits them into her purse, claiming she's "saving" these men from their pitiful wishes.
The next hour of the movie follows Beth as her new suitors (the owners of the coins) chase her all over Manhattan to win her love. One of the suitors includes Nick, the best man at her sister's wedding, who Beth believes threw a coin in the fountain that she now possesses.
Though Beth falls for Nick, she is incapable of trusting that his love is for real. Its a romantic comedy, so let's not even pretend that they don't wind up together - they do. However, for me, the best part of the movie was when Beth asks her father how she can know if Nick's love is for real and he answers, "the passion is in the risk." I love that.
Though the movie was cheesy and predictable I loved many of the small touches such as a song on the soundtrack by Adele called "Make You Feel My Love", Beth's stunning wedding dress and of course, the Pedro cameo!
Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel have great chemistry and the suitors are played convincingly by Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Dax Shepard and Danny Devito. I also adored the majestic Anjelica Huston as Beth's museum boss. Quite a cast for a highly criticized movie!
To all my single ladies, watch "When in Rome" to be reminded that "the passion is in the risk."
