Bumpy ride awaits any, all passengers
Sarah Jessica Parker pulls an “Under the Tuscan Sun,” with a twist, in the minor romantic dramedy “All Roads Lead to Rome,” directed by Ella Lemhagen. Appropriately, her love interest is played by Raoul Bova, who romanced Diane Lane under the Tuscan sun as well.
Harried Maggie ( Parker) heads for a taste of la vita bella with her bratty daughter Summer ( Rosie Day), possibly to avoid Summer’s arrest — the teen’s boyfriend wants her to take the fall for his pot trafficking, since she’ll be charged only as a juvenile. Maggie runs into old f lame Luca, and it’s not long before Summer steals a car and hits the road with Luca’s elderly, possibly senile, mother in tow, looking to hitch a ride to Rome.
Maggie and Luca give chase, in a duel of dual road movies. The teen crime element differentiates the f ilm from similar fare, but the tone is wildly inconsistent.
The humor is dated, and while scenes in Italian without subtitles are confusing, it isn’t difficult to anticipate the turns of story. The mother- daughter relationship is so strained you welcome their time apart, and dread the reunion, the tension between them achieving a sense of realism that’s just too real for this romp. “All Roads Lead to Rome.” MPAA rating: PG- 13, for some drug material, language and suggestive content. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. Playing: Arena Cinema, Hollywood.