【电影简介】

约翰是美国著名的建筑师，他回到罗马度假。年轻的时候，他在罗马住过一段时间，算是故地重游了。在罗马的日子里，他见到了正处在热恋中的的杰克和莫妮卡。从他们的恋爱关系里，约翰回想起了自己年轻时的一段刻骨铭心的爱情。

杰瑞是一个退了休的歌剧导演，他和自己的妻子菲利普斯飞到意大利去看女儿海丽的未婚夫米开朗基罗。在罗马，杰瑞对未来女婿的那个从事殡葬业的父亲卡罗很感兴趣，占卡罗是个天生的歌唱家，杰瑞就开始怂恿占卡罗去开始自己的歌唱生涯。

莱奥波尔多·皮萨内罗是个很无趣的男人，有一天他从床上惊醒，发现自己变成了意大利最红的明星，每天都是无穷无尽的狗仔队和闪光灯。渐渐地，皮萨内罗熟悉了这一切，但他同时也体会到了成名的代价。

安东尼奥从罗马外围的小镇来到了罗马，他带着自己的未婚妻米莉。希望自己能用表现和漂亮的米莉打动自己的那些在城市里的亲戚，好让他在这里定居，并找到一份城市里的工作。可是他的计划并不成功，安东尼奥莫名其妙地和一个陌生人结了婚，同时他的未婚妻和一个电影明星搞到了一起……

【音频文本】

Woody Allen continues his tour around European cities. In his new film "To Rome with Love" we follow his tourist frenzy around the Eternal City, like we did in the midnight streets of Paris. But this time, his sponsors in Rome may have little cause to cheer, because the new production contains the least possible Roman element, and an increase in the director's jabbering.

The ensemble movie consists of four stories, each one more absurd than the last as they take turns developing as the burnished, golden pictures of cinematographer Darius Khondji. Allen plays a retired opera director who discovers a brilliant tenor in his funeral director in-law, but unfortunately, or rather inconveniently, this amateur tenor sings well only when he takes a shower. The absurdity of this story culminates with a performance in an opera house in a purpose-built shower. Allen's constant chattering makes it all possible.

The next example of jabbering is contributed by Alec Baldwin, playing an architect who observes a younger version of himself caught in a triangular relationship. As a seasoned person both in terms of age and career, Baldwin proves to be a reliable advisor to the youth, who is played by Jess Eisenberg. However, it seems rationale is always a missing ingredient in Allen's interpretation of romance. The young man takes no heed of Baldwin's warning and allows himself to fall for the temptation of the illicit affair.

The director's mistrust in love and marriage is further seen by a provincial couple who come to Rome for anew life. Both receive exciting and enlightening sex education courses with persons outside their marriage,before they decide that they are better off at home.

The comedy is supplemented by Roberto Benigni's ingenious portrayal of a mundane Roman local. His eventless life takes a dramatic turn when all of a sudden the media finds his dull life worthy of public attention.His taste of fame is fleeting, but carries the full dose of the director's sarcasm.

All four stories could have happened in a city other than Rome. And they don't necessarily relate to one coherent idea. The movie incorporates the director's opinion of romance and love, ambition and fame. The only perceivable connection between all four stories is perhaps is that each cast member makes each individual story interesting.

If we were to take "To Rome with Love" as a part of Woody Allen's tour of Europe, it will be a failed example, because the movie at its best is a collection of the director's random thoughts imposed on the city of Rome. It would have been a decent movie for an average director, but for Allen, the setbacks are not as easily forgivable. On a scale from one to 10, I think it deserves a five.

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