“Solo Mio” Review
Director: Daniel Kinnane, Charles Kinnane Screenwriter: John Kinnane, Patrick Kinnane, Kevin James Cast: Kevin James, Nicole Grimaudo, Alyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie, Julee Cerda, Julie Ann Emery, Andrea Bocelli, Kim Coates Distributor: Angel Studios Running Time: 96 min. MPAA: PG
The appeal of Kevin James is that he has the appearance and demeanor of an average dude, believable enough to fit snugly into the roles of garbage men and mall security guards. Yet it always feels like he’s at the mercy of whatever environment he’s tossed into, be it a routine bumbling comedy or another of Happy Madison’s tedious vacation productions. Solo Mio is of the latter category, where I suppose the bulk of the amusement comes from somebody as forgettable as James ambling around the beauty of Italy. But for being presented as a sadsack without much to say, it’s a vacation where you’re desperate to spend it with anybody else.
The premise has been noted by critic Armond White as a rom-com for men, which feels like a massive insult to men. Kevin James plays Matt Taylor, a groom excited to get married in Italy. The big day arrives, but his bride, Heather (Julie Ann Emery), does not, leaving him at the altar as he frantically tries to find her. With a left-behind note and text message, Matt soon finds himself on his honeymoon without a wife, taking part in couples’ activities sans wife. It’s a sad sight, but the urge to get closer lessens with every conversation. Matt isn’t a bad guy for being a teacher, but there’s just nothing all that interesting to him.
Consider how he begins to form a bond with Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), a show owner in Italy. Like many movies where Americans visit the country, she mostly exists to teach the language and showcase the sights. The bulk of their conversations centers on the quirks of misunderstanding between English and Italian, coming off more like awkward small talk than flirting. There’s such a lack of development of any of these characters that the most unique thing about Gia is that she’s related to popular singer Andrea Bocelli, someone whom Matt adores for working with Ed Sheeran. Even something as devastating as Gia having known about Heather and helped her write the farewell note doesn’t seem to shake Matt’s attraction much to this Italian woman who acts as the ultimate tour guide.
There is certainly an element of growth in how Matt and Heather learn to part ways more appropriately, but the time between the breakup serves as little more than a lukewarm vacation guide. An avenue for comedy almost comes in the form of the intruding couple Julian (Kim Coates) and Megan (Alyson Hannigan), who seem to be in a perpetual state of marriage and divorce. There’s also the couple Neil (Jonathan Roumie) & Donna (Julee Cerda), who don’t have the most stable of relationships. Some fun could be had with Matt realizing it might be fine to be alone rather than married to somebody who doesn’t love him, but the quirkiness of these encounters doesn’t add up to much. The film is more content to get lost in the Italian flavor of its vacation romance, most mild, hoping that Kevin James would just improv his way through decadent Italian settings and find the funny in being left at the altar.
Perhaps it was that confidence in James’s performance that made me think of Lost in Translation, a far superior film about loneliness, relationships, and feeling out of place abroad. The performances by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson came off more natural for a story that doesn’t harp too hard on the cultural disconnect or the need to find another romantic partner pronto. Solo Mio doesn’t have much time to explore those internal sensations amid its brisk pacing, which pushes Kevin James out of any contemplative holes he might fall into. All you have to do in Italy is apparently get drunk and order a coffee for the happiness to follow. That might be a blessing in disguise, considering the movie would be a major snooze if somebody as mundane as Matt was left to consider something deeper beyond the next sight to see or party to attend.
Solo Mio never finds the right groove to be a mixture of a pitiful and playful vacation rom-com, stewing in its own watered-down wonderment of Italy. Sure, there’s some beauty to how the country is portrayed, but these are exotic cravings a mere travelogue could fulfill. While this rom-com might not be bound by as many of the ho-hum tropes of the genre, it’s not bound by much more than autopilot Kevin James and one-note characters. I usually brush off the many Happy Madison vacation comedies as looking more fun to produce than watch, but I’m not even sure about that this time around. If one were to spend their time with somebody as dull as Matt, they’d likely try to ditch him or find another flight out of the country.
