To Rome With Love:

Woody Allen’s final film in his series of European stories leaves us with an abundance of stories and ideas about the fleeting nature of life, but the construction of the film does him no favors. The choppiness of the scenes and the uneven way the segments flow together leave one wondering if he wanted these stories to be viewed as connected. Even he seems to dismiss the idea of these stories being connected in any way by starting the film with the lazy plot device of a narrator saying “I see lots of people in Rome. Here are some of them.” Two of the storylines– one following an average man who finds fame for literally no reason, another following an opera producer discovering a new talent– feel particularly autobiographical. During these chunks, the movie sparks to life. Another plotline starring Ellen Page as a sexual temptress…