Woody Allen rarely laughs, least of all at his own jokes. But in his latest, "To Rome With Love," in which he acts as well as directs, he breaks down from time to time to suppress a giggle and the movie gets an almost imperceptible lift. If Allen is laughing (kind of) then it's surely OK for the audience to sit back and relax in this ode to the gorgeous city that has inspired legions of film people — such as Audrey Hepburn, who launched her Hollywood career from the Spanish Steps, and Federico Fellini, who allegedly was a crank everywhere else he filmed except in Rome. (He even made a film about it, "Fellini's Roma," in 1972.)
Allen, too, seems more exhilarated to be there than he was in 2006's "Scoop," a film that made half-hearted jabs at life in Britain and in which he also appeared. In "Rome," he pairs up with long-trusted actress Judy Davis ("Husbands and Wives") as they play American couple Jerry and Phyllis, flying in to meet Michelangelo (Flavio Parenti), the fiancé of their daughter Hayley (Alison Pill).
As you'd expect from Allen's characters (whether they're New Yorkers or Romans), neither Hayley nor her husband-to-be seem to have a lot of work pressure, or for that matter do any work at all. But they have nice digs and wardrobes to match, and cash to fuel visits to wonderful restaurants.
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