When in Rome

Kristen Bell rings flat as Beth, a girl-next-door-Guggenheim-museum-art-curator who fulfills a curse when she takes five coins from Rome's fountain of love. During a 48-hour Italian visit for her sister's sudden wedding, Beth meets the accident prone Nick (Josh Duhamel), who happens to also live in New York. Beth's coins attract the ongoing romantic interest of the men whose coins she filched. Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, and Danny Devito work to varying levels of success as the less-than-winning hopefuls at Beth's threshold. Devito fares best as sausage company founder with genuine feelings for Beth. Josh Duhamel carries his character's romantic duties with workmanlike effectiveness that helps camouflage his utter lack of chemistry with Kristen Bell, who comes off like a shrew. The film has no interconnectedness. It's one slapstick gag to another pratfall. The dialogue isn't funny and the filmmakers know nothing about comic timing. Has no one heard of Mel Brooks? Insult to injury--only five percent of the movie even takes place in Rome.

Rated PG-13. 91 mins. (C-) (Two Stars--out of five/no halves)