Kevin James’ Romantic Comedy Lacks Depth and Sincerity

Kevin James strikes a brand new, softer chord in Solo Mio, the romantic comedy from the Christian faith-based Angel Studios. It is an Eat Pray Love riff which sees the normally boisterous comic moping round Rome after his fiancée leaves him on the altar, and it is sort of nice to look at James discover a hotter, extra susceptible degree which is generally absent from his typical fare. However the movie is paper-thin and emotionally hole. Although there is not a lot point out of faith, the movie nonetheless feels inextricably tethered to the studio’s bigger mission, vapidly suggesting that the one factor one can do to remedy a damaged coronary heart is to instantly leap into the subsequent marriage prospect.

The lasting relevance of Elizabeth Gilbert’s evergreen memoir is because of its deal with self-realization and betterment. Solo Mio, in contrast, has practically no characterization, and, aside from a handful of trite photographs of James collaborating in all method of stereotypical Roman vacationer exercise, offers us no real perception into whom this man is, nor what he would possibly need out of life besides a spouse. It is to James’ and Nicole Grimaudo’s credit score that the movie works in any respect, as each actors give real and candy performances inside a movie whose script in any other case lacks sincerity.

Solo Mio Is Much less About Discovering Oneself Than it’s a Determined Seek for Companionship

James performs Matt Taylor, a fourth-grade artwork trainer whose seemingly good relationship with Heather (Julie Ann Emery) is immediately upended when she calls it quits on the actual second she is meant to stroll down the aisle. The disappearance is a shock to Matt as a lot as it’s to us, because the complete pre-title sequence is dedicated to a saccharine montage of the 2 routinely falling in love and getting engaged.

Oddly, the movie introduces precisely zero different characters from Matt’s orbit. There isn’t any greatest buddy, no coworker, no groomspeople, no household. We briefly hear him on the telephone together with his mother insisting that every part’s high quality, and that Heather simply wants area, however in any other case, Matt is a complete loner. With seemingly nobody to show to, Matt simply sort of carries on.

He tries to cancel the “two-becomes-one” honeymoon bundle he bought from their resort, however, with nothing refundable (nor exchangeable), he decides to indulge within the tandem-bike tour solo. Contemplating Matt is an artwork trainer, you’d suppose he’d have a minimum of slightly publicity to European customs, however he appears oddly clueless about primary Italian norms like kissing on every cheek and the pronunciation of on a regular basis Italian phrases, however a minimum of his befuddlement does introduce us to Grimaudo as Gia, a barista on the café across the nook whose burst of sunshine is an appreciated ray within the doldrums of this rote romance.

Having mentioned that, Gia’s curiosity in Matt seems like a whole plot contrivance. She is a personality who appears positioned right here merely to spice up Matt’s spirits. Like Matt, we be taught subsequent to nothing of her character besides that her café is more likely to shut. The 2 do bond over their shared heartache, however Matt is oddly cagey about being particular about his circumstances, and it does really feel arduous to root for a romance wherein one particular person is mere hours separated from the love of his life strolling away on the remaining hour.

Nonetheless, the 2 proceed onward, collaborating collectively within the bike tour alongside two different American {couples} which can be catastrophically unbearable. Meghan and Julian (Alyson Hannigan and Kim Coates, respectively) have divorced twice earlier than and are actually married for the third time; therapist Donna and affected person Neil (Julee Cerda and Jonathan Roumie, respectively) are newly married after the latter declared his love in a session with the previous. Each {couples} clearly hate one another, however if you happen to suppose that the filmmakers are making some assertion in regards to the fickleness of marriage or the foolishness in considering {that a} everlasting union will repair your issues… suppose once more! Each ethically doubtful {couples} are performed as dastardly charming (if a bit odd) quirky new buddies.

Solo Mio is made by the seven-member Kinnane brothers: administrators Charles & Daniel, writers Patrick & John, editor Pete, producers William and Brendan. The family-first DNA of the movie and its studio backing is rarely not clear right here. Meghan and Julian’s self-evidently poisonous relationship is rarely evaluated for what it’s, and is as an alternative defended as a case wherein they “by no means gave up” on one another. There are a number of mentions of getting correct foundations for a relationship, which appears fairly clearly coded as an endorsement of religion.

That is all nicely and good, however absolutely Matt would possibly want a while to heal from one thing so traumatic. All that basically is to say that, in a extra sincere movie, he could be given the possibility to totally discover himself earlier than leaping on the subsequent attainable alternative. By his personal admission, he by no means noticed this coming, which does counsel an individual who’s both totally lower off from listening to his associate or else somebody who has put a lot inventory into marriage that he forgot to ever test in on his personal needs and needs.

Each James and Grimaudo deserved a movie with a bit extra heft, one which earnestly offers with its personal premise with emotional curiosity. Practically each “joke” simply comes from an American mispronunciation of Italian. The irony of the movie’s title — which roughly interprets to “solely mine” — is that it seems like recommendation the Kinnanes most likely ought to’ve given to their protagonist, somebody who may do with alone time.

Solo Mio releases in theaters on February sixth, 2026.