Movies: To Rome With Love

If we believe some scientists there are other universes besides our universe. They might never prove it. But in the world of cinema we can indeed detect different universes. One of them is the universe of Woody Allen. For decades the New York cinema icon creates a universe of his own in his films, places of fun and ridicule.

Allen`s latest creation is "To Rome With Love" (.imdb.com). The film, which plays - of course - in the Italian capital, is as hilarious and entertaining as we know him. As usual, the master shows us  a couple whose relationship is tested by chaotic circumstances, along with some of his theories about how the world runs. According to Allen women are more capable of adultery than men.  Furthermore, some people become famous without reason and the public gets excited about any of their banalities. Are these assumptions just true in a Woody Allen universe?

As usual the film maker could assemble an august crowd of actors. The funniest character was played, of course, by the maestro himself. Allen gave us his usual nervous goofball. Italy`s glamour comedian Roberto Benigni delivered the expected stream of daftness and the appearance of Penélope Cruz illustrated Einstein´s theory about the curving of space time.

I was curious about how Jesse Eisenberg, who played the snotty Mark Zuckerberg in "Social Network", would fit into this comedy. The answer: Glaciers may melt, but Jesse won´t. The actor delivered the usual fast speaking and bit brash attitude he is so good at. Jesse, stay as you are!

Allan blended his cinematic meringues with fine post-card views of the Colosseum, the Spanish Stairs and other Roman views, a tradition which he started in "Manhattan". But there was something new: The flick delivered a lot of opera  (including arias from Puccini, Verdi & Leoncavallo) instead of the usual jazz. Maybe one fine day Allen will serve us rock music too. I can`t wait, master.