I am slightly awestruck over the reason behind the American filmmaker and actor Woody Allen’s desire to have named his 2012 magical realist romantic comedy film as “To Rome with Love”.
Despite a rather inquisitive soul’s possible perplexity, Allen seems to have given his award winning film the finest and the perfect name.
Allen’s “To Rome with Love” may have been stirred and exhilarated by the awe-inspiring and splendid dolmens, obelisks and pillars that galvanise the picturesque topography of the city of Rome which is a synonym for blazing and dazzling piazzas running across its well-maintained awesome streets.
The New York film maker Allen embarks on his European sojourn with “To Rome with Love”, entwining quite a few stories that take efforts in order to paint a vignette surrounded by the life in Rome which is arguably one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Allen creates distinct and disparate number of plots that dive into different social stratas in the society that portray the character of a complex set of people who come from different backgrounds.
Four fascinating anecdotes unfold in the eternal city; while being on a holiday in the city of Rome, architect John, played by Alec Baldwin, meets with a young man whose gloom and anguish give him a recollection of a certain distressing and hurting episode encountered by him during his prime.
New vigour
Director Allen himself plays the character of Jerry, opera director who locates a mortician with an incredibly captivating voice; Jerry makes himself available for a window of opportunities that give a sense of new vigour and vitality to his woozy and rocky career.
Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandro Masteobardi are Allen’s choice to play the young couple who have got their unconnected and independent intimate interludes whilst Roberto Benigui plays a character of an ordinary man who manages to enjoy a spotlight. Allen makes a backdrop which is significantly spectacular and exquisite as well as a cast that is vividly astute and perceptive in acting in situations that is capable of sharing their sense of humour with the audience that arguably bursts out laughing.
Allen’s concern on the aspect of the humorous and diverting practicality and the novelty of the film is an evocative and lucid theoretical expression.
The movie gives an extremely chucklesome, droll and amusing concept on the aspects of art, culture and the uncertainties, prevailing within the city of Rome. In contrast, some critics argue that the director has not taken significant attempts that could generate a particular elation and exhilaration that could satisfy the theatrical gratification of the audience.
“Woody Allen’s latest European adventure is a portmanteau farce with some hits among its many misses”, the Guardian remarked. However, “To Rome with Love” enjoys a wealthy script which contains affluent and upscale words that keep the viewer intact with the story. It is widely known that almost all of Allen’s films are entailed on endearing, appealing and complex love stories that simultaneously take place at one particular location.
Allen’s experience in cinema that runs into decades and his natural instinct have landed his film with an unassuming and idiosyncratic prowess and appeal. With the filming of “To Rome with Love”, the charisma and the sophistication that Allen showcases at 76 is a classic example that justifies the fact that “age is just a number”. Allen is still an extraordinary filmmaker.
Bigotry, prejudice and misogyny
Being inspired by constructive criticism, an ardent moviegoer may rush into a conclusion with the simplest assumption that compared with Allen’s much adored and widely praised “Midnight in Paris”, “To Rome with Love” does not seem to be as rousing and eye-popping as the former which won the Academy Award for writing (Original Screenplay), 2012.
A certain critic notes that “To Rome with Love” carries with it a trace and flicker of bigotry, prejudice and misogyny in the trivial and trifling way where the women are represented. It is also asserted that the approach taken by Allen in order to generate the banter and the farce through the film has not ripened the fruit.
