Woody Allen has turned his attention to Rome after a successful stroll around the City of Light in “Midnight in Paris.” The new trailer for “To Rome With Love,” offers the first glimpse of the film and the return of Roberto Benigni to a major U.S. motion picture.
Allen uses an ensemble approach to chart the intersecting lives of several characters and tell the story of this ancient and romantic world capital.
Benigni won a best actor Oscar for his role in the 1998 film “Life Is Beautiful.” But he faded from American film after his 2002 follow up, an adaptation of “Pinocchio,” flopped domestically. He went from Oscar to Razzie for Worst Actor in a film.
But Allen resurrects his career for his Italian film about a young man, Jesse Eisenberg, who visits Rome with his father, Alec Baldwin. His dad gets involved with his girlfriend’s BFF, played by Ellen Page.
Benigni plays a man who suddenly becomes the focus of intense media speculation and Penelope Cruz plays an intriguing call girl. Allen will also have a role in the film, which he writes and directs. It’s his first on-screen action since 2006 movie “Scoop.”
After “Midnight in Paris,” Allen’s most successful film in his career, which also netted him an Oscar for screenplay, he’s on a roll.
The film will hit theaters in Italy April 20 and be released domestically June 22. Get a taste of the film below. It’s classic Woody Allen.