Now, don't get me wrong. I have a soft spot for rom-coms, as I explained in my The Proposal review. There's something really gratifying about already knowing how a movie is going to end but enjoying the process anyway. That's why it takes a lot for a rom-com to make me excited; because every fucking cliche and strained plot device has been done. So either the plot needs to make me go "hey....." in surprise every once and a while, or the two leads must be hella charming. When in Rome, starring every nerd boy's (and girl's) crush, Kristen Bell, did neither of those things. 

Read the full review after the jump!

Playing on the popular plot device of magic and old traditions, When in Rome is the story of Type-A, career woman Beth (Bell) who's unlucky in love (gee....that's unique) as she travels to Rome for her little sister's whirlwind wedding and ends up steals wishing coins out of the Fountain of Love. Apparently legend goes that if you swipe someone's coin out of the fountain, you claim their love, and they fall madly in love with you. Beth steals five coins out of the fountain, one that belongs to a street magician (Jon Heder), a sausage king (Danny DeVito), an artist (Will Arnett), a would-be male model (Bell's real life boyfriend Dax Shepard--gross), and one seemingly belonging to a sportswriter (Josh Duhamel), whom she felt a spark with at her sis' nuptials. 

The plot device calls for all would-be suitors to follow Beth back to NYC, where she's a curator at the Guggenheim (under Anjelica Houston's reign of terror) and wreck havoc amongst her loveless life. Of course, her whole career is riding on the next exhibit... While slapstick ensue, the laughs do not--not even from funnyman Will Arnett. One sight gag involving Flight of the Conchords' Kristen Schaal entices a handful of giggles, but shamefully so. The real problem with the movie is just the lack of spark and verve, which is a shame coming from the delightful Kristen Bell in her first starring film role. 

Not only is the writing terrible and the laughs nonexistent, but so is the chemistry. Duhamel is just so goshdarn boring, and he and Bell don't illicit any emotions between them. What made The Proposal different than your average, shitty romantic comedy is that the two lead actors were so likable and really created a passion you can sense. There is nothing here. Nothing. It's like cardboard. There is a decided lack of so-called magic. Plus, the slight plot twist at the end is blatant to anyone who has seen a single, solitary movie in the past decade or so--and even, maybe to my 7-year-old brother who has basically only seen The Incredibles. Fuck. I wish I rewatched that movie again instead of this snooze fest. 

Much like the recent outing of Leap Year, nothing could save this flick--not even an actress I liked once upon a time. 

--Darcie Duttweiler