All Roads Lead to Rome (Sarah Jessica Parker)

(Amazon UK link)

This is one of the many DVDs that Amazon recommended to me. I added it to my wishlist a while ago, based on the blurb and reviews. Inevitably different films appeal to different people, and I thought that ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’ sounded like an interesting storyline, rather different from the typical rom-com. I was given it for my recent birthday, and last night we decided to watch it.

There are four main characters in this film. Sarah Jessica Parker plays Maggie, a somewhat neurotic mother who has brought her teenage daughter Summer (Rosie Day) to Italy for what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Summer is upset because she wants to be with her druggie boyfriend. Maggie is over-enthusiastic about the views and atmosphere, in a way that even I found irritating, and I’m a mother rather than a teenager.

They quickly meet Luca (Raoul Bova) who was romantically attached to Maggie many years previously and his mother Carmen (Claudia Cardinale) who seems, at first, to be a little senile. But we soon discover that this is far from the case. She wants to get to Rome for reasons that later become clear… and when Summer takes the opportunity to escape from her mother, Carmen insists on going too.

A lot of the storyline is far-fetched, with a lengthy car chase around the Italian countryside, various near misses, apparent disasters… and then perfect timing towards the climax. But that doesn’t matter; it’s more comedy than romance, and while we didn’t laugh aloud, there were some quite amusing sections. Summer is excellent in her role as an uncommunicative teenager, and quickly bonds with Carmen despite their distance in age and rather different circumstances.

Meanwhile Maggie and Luca join forces to try to find the runaway pair… and in doing so gradually explore what went wrong in the past, and what changes each of them needs to make to their lives. I didn’t find this nearly so convincing, however. I never really believed in Maggie, who smiles too broadly, too often, and has a streak of viciousness which is most unappealing. Luca looks good as a romantic hero, but his treatment of his mother, and his opinion of women in general make him seem unpleasant - and his eventual capitulation is far too rapid.

Still, as a light-hearted evening’s viewing, it filled the bill nicely. There was no deep thought required, and while there is more action than I usually like in a film, it wasn’t difficult to follow. I’d have liked English subtitles for a couple of significant Italian exchanges; it was easy to get the gist, but I’d have liked to know exactly what was said.

The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which I’d say is about right. The story is unlikely to be of interest to children or younger teens anyway; but there’s very little bad language, no nudity or intimate scenes, and no violence. The brief glimpses of Summer’s boyfriend in his squat are sordid, involving drugs, but they’re not shown in a disturbing way.

Not the greatest film, but pleasant enough.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews