When in Rome

Be wary of any movie poster that features a winsome blonde biting her pinkie. That's the primary lesson learned from this romantic comedy in which cutesy nail-nibbling is supposed to be seductive. Guggenheim Museum curator Beth (Kristen Bell) is one unhappy camper: she works for an authoritarian boss (Anjelica Huston), her parents (Peggy Lipton and Don Johnson) are divorced, and she's dumped by her longtime beau, Brady (Lee Pace), in the middle of an art gala. Augmenting her misery, Beth's younger sister Joan (Alexis Dziena) is marrying Umberto (Luca Calvani) in Rome, where Beth meets cynical sports reporter Nick (Josh Duhamel). Convinced that she'll never find Mr. Right and far too inebriated to exercise good judgment, Beth visits an enchanted Trevi-like fountain where, instead of tossing in coins and making a wish, she wades in and takes out four coins—and a poker chip. In the ensuing frothy fantasy, the four guys who once owned the coins fall in love with Beth when she returns to Manhattan: struggling artist Antonio (Will Arnett), who paints an enormous nude portrait of Beth on the side of a building; self-centered model Gale (Dax Shepard); street magician Lance (Jon Heder); and sausage tycoon Al (Danny DeVito). And what about Prince Charming—aka Nick, who supposedly threw in the poker chip? Guess. Veronica Mars alum Bell deserves better than director Mark Steven Johnson's cringe-worthy and predictable romcom. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.), “Kerplunk!” bloopers (3 min.), the music videos “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry and “Stupid Love Letter” by Friday Night Boys, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Crazy Casanovas: Mischief from the Set” cast and crew featurette (13 min.), an alternate opening and ending (7 min.), and “Extended Pain with the Suitors” extended scenes (3 min.). Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)