When In Rome

An ambitious young New Yorker (Kristen Bell), disillusioned with romance, takes a whirlwind trip to Rome where she defiantly plucks magic coins from a fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of those who threw them in: a sausage magnate (Danny DeVito), a street magician (John Heder), an adoring painter (Will Arnet) and a self-admiring model (Dax Shepard). But when a charming reporter (Josh Duhamel) pursues her with equal zest, how will she know if his love is the real thing? 

Oh, type-A, über-focused, tightly wound New York Career Girl, will you never learn? Kristen Bell, the growing darling of romantic comedies, crisply portrays the working gal whose life is super organized and rewarding--except for the pesky lack of a real boyfriend. What will it take to loosen her buttoned-down drive and open her heart to a chance at love? Well, when you're as tough a case as Bell's Beth, you're going to need the heavy artillery: Italy. When Beth visits Rome for the wedding of her sister, Joan (Alexis Dziena, Entourage's Ashley), she's suddenly awash in the city's romance. She visits the famous fountain d'amore and retrieves coins from it, hoping for magic. When in Rome succeeds because it allows reality to coexist happily with that magic--which brings forth several potential suitors for Beth. Bell is a delightful actress and brings nuance and depth to a role that's rather two-dimensional. Her suitors include Jon Heder, Danny DeVito, and Josh Duhamel, who plays Nick, a wiseacre hunk with a brain behind that self-effacing nature. When Beth suddenly has five men in love with her--one for each coin--she wonders if Nick's feelings are real, or just the fountain's crazy magic. Duhamel and Bell have an appealing, old-fashioned bantery chemistry, and if the audience knows well before Nick and Beth that they are perfect for each other, well, the journey is pleasant and the leads are engaging. DeVito is hilarious, and other great cameos belong to Anjelica Huston and Peggy Lipton. Fans of films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, as well as fans of Bell and Duhamel, will have fun When in Rome. --A.T. Hurley