Reviews
Solo mio
If you’ve seen one then you’ve seen them all is an apt way of describing Hallmark romantic comedies and you’d be forgiven for thinking Kevin James’ latest movie Solo Mio was one of those. It is one of the most generic and predictable films I’ve seen in a very long time, hitting every lazy trope imaginable and ultimately becoming completely and utterly emotionally hollow, all whilst somehow managing to shoehorn in just about every Italian stereotype along the way.
However, this relatively inoffensive romantic comedy, clearly aimed at an older demographic, comes from Christian faith based Angel Studios and for the most part I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike some of the studio’s other offerings, faith isn’t quite as in your face, that is until the final act where it is shamelessly manufactured in despite having nothing to do with the overall storyline or its characters, and feeling entirely out of place as a result.
The storyline of Solo Mio is as by the book as it gets. Matt (Kevin James) is left at the altar by his would-be bride Heather (Julie Ann Emery). Instead of being supported by friends or family, Matt is inexplicably left completely alone and decides to go ahead with the pre-planned honeymoon in Rome. And if being jilted at the altar isn’t depressing enough, wait until you see the so-called honeymoon suite. Sheesh, that’s not a hotel I’d be staying in.
With couples activities aplenty and Matt standing out like a sore thumb, he is soon adopted by two of the other couples. Meghan and Julian (Alyson Hannigan and Kim Coates) are a complete train wreck on their third attempt at marriage, while Donna and Neil (Julee Cerda and Jonathan Roumie) are a therapist and her patient, because what could possibly go wrong there?
During the trip, Matt meets local café barista Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), who quite obviously serves as the film’s new love interest. This is glaringly apparent from the moment they meet, and the following 90 minutes unfold in a nauseatingly predictable fashion, with every supposed twist having been done a million times before. There is nothing fresh or meaningful on display, and it is surprisingly vapid in its suggestion that the best way to heal a broken heart is to leap straight into another relationship.
Perhaps even more egregious is the reliance on the laziest Italian stereotypes imaginable. Nessun Dorma is dropped into the film at every available opportunity, and a painfully manufactured cameo from Andrea Bocelli ends up being the biggest laugh of the entire production. That said, directing brothers Charles and Daniel Kinnane do at least present the Italian people as overwhelmingly friendly, and may well be angling for a cheque from the Italian tourism board given how enthusiastically the country is showcased.
Undoubtedly the strongest aspect of Solo Mio is its cinematography, capturing the beauty of Rome and Tuscany with ease. Although when you are filming some of the most stunning locations on the planet, it would arguably be harder to make them look bad than it would to make them look this good. The soundtrack is also solid, though that is hardly surprising when it is largely made up of live performances from Andrea Bocelli and Ed Sheeran.
To its credit, it is not all bad. Kevin James and Nicole Grimaudo both deliver genuinely charming performances, with believable on screen chemistry that elevates the mediocre material to something at least passable. While the laughs are few and far between, when they do land the pair are central to what little humour the film manages to generate.
Solo Mio had the potential to carve out something slightly different and become a genuine crowd pleaser. Instead, it opts for the safest and most formulaic route at every turn, leaving it feeling like one of the more forgettable romantic comedies in recent memory. That said, it may yet find a second life as background streaming noise, the kind that requires little attention and can be dipped in and out of without missing a thing.