Solo Mio (Christian Movie Review)
With an abundance of beautiful Italian scenery and a feel-good story, Solo Mio has enough charm to satisfy audiences looking for breezy entertainment this Valentine’s Day, but the lack of effective comedy and thematic depth may leave it feeling overly lightweight and forgettable for anyone hoping for more.
About the Film
“Kevin James, table for one please.” That’s the essence of Solo Mio, Angel Studio’s new romantic drama about a man spurned at the wedding altar and forced to experience an Italian honeymoon alone. It’s an uplifting film that reminds audiences that unforeseen blessings often wait just on the other side of hurt and tragedy. With an abundance of beautiful Italian scenery and a feel-good story, Solo Mio has enough charm to satisfy audiences looking for breezy entertainment this Valentine’s Day, but the lack of effective comedy and thematic depth may leave it feeling overly lightweight and forgettable for anyone hoping for more.
Whether romance is indeed dead (as the cynics say) is up for debate. Less contested, is the fact that the rom-com genre has been on life support since its heyday in the 1990s. Solo Mio has been billed as a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, the actual comedy is about as present as Matt Taylor’s (Kevin James) wife on his wedding day. The movie will warm your heart and make you feel good, but don’t expect it to make you laugh. The attempted jokes don’t land, and despite starring Kevin James—one of Hollywood’s kings of physical comedy— the film feels overly restrained.
Kevin James may not get to showcase his comedic chops, but his sad, puppy dog expressions and demeanor are perfectly suited for this role. Watching a sad-sack Kevin James engage in various couples’ activities alone is irresistibly endearing. If anyone ever deserved to find love, it’s this guy! As expected, the film has a happy ending, and watching good things happen to good people makes for a pleasant experience.
Many mainstream rom-coms center around sex (such as the most recent genre megahit, Anyone But You). Therefore, having Solo Mio unfold without relying on physical attraction is refreshing. Kevin James is a handsome dude, but he is 60 years old, and not the image of a young Hollywood heartthrob. Solo Mio should be commended for showing how healthy romantic relationships are built on qualities beyond mere sex appeal (granted, due to the expedited confines of its 1.5 hour runtime, the romance is still shallow and Disney-esque).
The biggest issue with Solo Mio is that it never manages to make its characters seem like actual people. Solo Mio takes a “top-down” approach to its uplifting message. Matt Taylor is more a cog than a character, an empty vessel for the themes of the story rather than a man with a story. He’s representative of a down-on-his-luck, heartbroken man who finds unforseen romance, but even by the end of the film, audiences don’t really know him.
The side characters are also disappointing. Kevin James should know as well as anyone the crucial role of quirky and amusing side characters in these films, having himself effectively served that role in others. But despite a talented supporting cast that includes Jonathan Roumie and Alyson Hannigan, the characters are forgettable (at best) and obnoxious intrusions (at worst). Only Nicole Grimaudo, as Kevin James’s budding love interest, makes a positive impression by bringing some much-needed Italian energy and passion to her scenes.
Solo Mio does find moderate success as a vicarious escape to Italy. The film is a celebration of Italian scenery and culture. having visited Italy for my own Honeymoon, there was an escapist charm to the film’s laid-back and unhurried approach. It allowed audiences to settle into the peaceful rhythms of the story, rather than being frenetically rushed from joke to joke. There is even a surprise cameo (that I won’t spoil here) that elevates the Italian celebration to lofty heights.
Notably, the film represents another step in Angel Studio’s move away from producing only explicitly “faith-based” genre into more general “wholesome entertainment.” Apart from a brief prayer before a meal, there is no other focus on faith or religion. I support the studio’s attempt at a broader range of storytelling. Still, the absence of more faith elements, and the inclusion of some mild content elements (including occasional profanity and frequent drinking), may disappoint Christian viewers who expect more familiar faith-based storytelling from the studio.
In the end, Solo Mio is a lightweight and inoffensive romantic drama that may scratch an itch for audiences looking for a heartwarming story. The film is pure comfort viewing, akin to a bicycle ride through Rome. The story never has much energy or momentum, and with many other more impressive sights to behold, the simple ride is unlikely to rank high as one of the most memorable experiences on the trip. But it doesn’t mean the leisurely journey out in the fresh air isn’t enjoyable in the moment.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There a several mild profanities, including “h—” (x3) and “a—” (x1). A male character says he has been experiencing a mild case of “angina” (chest discomfort), but other characters clearly mishear the word.
Violence: Included in some rudimentary children’s artwork is a scene of a decapitated roman solider, with blood spurting out of his neck.
Sexuality: There is mild kissing, and several allusions to sex or affairs. A man remarks to another of the honeymoon suite “this room is going to work out good for you.”
Other: There are several scenes focused on drinking or smoking.
Engage The Film
God’s Timing vs. Our Desires
Solo Mio is not an explicitly faith-based story, but it has an agreeable message about trusting in a higher plan for our lives. The film never clearly shows what the disconnect was between Matt and his fiancée, Heather, but it implies that their journey to the wedding altar was motivated more by a fear of being alone than by a true peace about marrying each other. While Matt sees the called-off wedding as the end of the road for his happiness, he soon discovers possibilities and a bright future he never expected.
In scripture, it is written, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Similarly, the biblical Jospeh (no stranger to unexpected hardships) makes the famous declaration to his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
No, the next day after a crushing heartbreak will not always lead you into a whirlwind romance with a pretty Italian coffee shop owner, but Solo Mio is a reminder that there is always more to the story of our life than we realize. Christians can trust God’s timing and plans, rather than be driven by fear to try and manufacture our own happiness, which will always be less than God’s desired blessings.
