Everybody Wants to Be Italian (2007) User Reviews

SHE'S MY SOUL MATE

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 27 April 2019]

The movie attempts to be cute and clever by feeding us unrealistic characters. Jake (Jay Jablonski) owns a fish store in Boston. He is still "in love" with his ex-girlfriend (Marisa Petroro) and soul mate of 8-12 years who is now married with 3 kids. This is the first joke that didn't work, unfortunately they made it part of the story. Jake's Italian friends fixes him up with a woman (Cerina Vincent) who they think is Italian. Neither one is Italian but pretends to be Italian because they believe the other one is Italian. That was the whole premise of the title and the second joke that didn't come off well. Jake is so confused about his feelings, he becomes unlikable and pathetic.

I didn't find the movie to be funny, or heart warming and neither did my ex-girlfriend and soul mate.

Light Dish of Pasta

[day_zmitchell · 7/10 · 8 September 2008]

Not too much pasta and sauce on this plate but plenty of fun inside the shell's. I wouldn't call this the best romantic comedy I have seen over the last 2-3 years but what it had for me was a refreshing blend of ingredients that didn't upset my stomach. A good blend of old and new from a cast that worked well on screen together. Once I got past the notion that this guy Jake, was held up on the same girl for 8 years, I was fine. The scene when Jake was with all the educated Harvard types and he broke down his business model was a fun twist, we got to learn that this guy was more than a good looking frame. I have seen critical reviews the last three days and I for one just don't see where they are coming from, I'd suggest you get out and see the film for yourself. I don't know how much the title hurts the film, but I certainly don't think people should take it so literal, it would seem that the writer wanted to express that everyone wants to be passionate, needed, and in search of a sole mate?

some funny bits, but ... it ain't no shakespeare

[ksf-2 · 5/10 · 19 January 2024]

When jake is having trouble getting over his (married) ex-girlfriend, his friends fix him up with marisa. It's pretty much an episode of three's company. Jake isn't honest from the start. He tells one lie to cover up another lie, and of course it snowballs. Marisa also tells a lie. What a mess. Painful to watch with all the all the lying. Of course it's going to all blow up. We don't really root for anyone, since everyone is lying. John enos was actually born in boston, but some of the fake new england accents are pretty bad. About an hour in, we find out that jake is suddenly a genius business man, making big bucks. But he can't seem to show up for his shifts at his own store. And jake isn't even be a good friend to marisa. Why does she hang out with him? Later, a small child just screams and screams. So annoying. The script needed fixing up for sure. Some pretty adult language here. And lots of rude, stereotype things said by jake and his buddies at the fish shop; to be fair, it was released in 2007. A small role for richard libertini, from all of me and fletch. A walk-on by the awesome penny marshall. They should have let her direct! Written and directed by jason ipson. This one is currently showing on MAX. It's okay. Has some funny moments.

Boston humor/Italian-American humor

[ecoscifi · 7/10 · 17 March 2020]

I think the critics who don't like this movie just don't get either. :)

SAD

[kathyshalleck · 1/10 · 18 September 2019]

Thinking this might be in the vein of "Moonstruck" (one of my all time favorite films about Italians) I got this one and found - it was a love story about a woman - beautiful face and figure - who is an intelligent college grad and a veterinarian to boot...and a man (questionable - acts like teenage boy) who doesn't even think she qualifies as a doctor (in his view of the world anyway) AND is pining (stalking!) his former girlfriend who has been married for 8 + years (with 3 kids) - well, that is just sad - NO not sad - UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Nice Film

[drdave1 · 7/10 · 29 March 2020]

Very enjoyable film. Characters that everyone can relate to.

Don't Insult Italians

[myronlearn · 1/10 · 22 December 2019]

I'm not sure which is more infantile-the dialogue or the acting. It's hard to believe that this monstrosity was even okayed for release. NEXT????

Better than expected

[drewandburt-1 · 9/10 · 4 September 2008]

I didn't know what to expect when I went in to see "Everybody Wants to Be Italian," I knew it was romantic comedy that was centered around a relationship between two people who are not Italian, but pretend to be because they think that's the other one's ethnicity.

Jake is the owner of fish store who has been stalking his ex-girlfriend who is now married with three kids, for the past 8 years, he even thinks one of the kids is his.

His employees(John Enos, John Kapelos, Richard Libertini) who are also his therapists/partners in crime decide to take some decisive action and fix him up with a beautiful girl named Maria,(Cerina Vincent) who they think is Italian.

The plan works to some degree and with the support of his other friends around Boston, including Penny Marshall in a brief cameo, they are able to get Jack to see the light and pay attention to Maria. Lot's of good one liners to keep the audience laughing throughout, most of the theater had full belly laugh out loud moments, which was good to hear.

I credit writer-director Jason Todd Ipson for keeping things simple and true to the natural process of dating and life, the girls always want what they can't have. Really easy on the eyes is Cerina Vincent as Marsia, who manages to shine despite typically being cast in horror films. This one is much better than advertised and one to watch this fall.

So terrible I almost couldn't turn it off....almost

[ocangaceiro-1 · 1/10 · 5 August 2013]

This movie is simply dismal. The script is among the worst I've ever seen brought even to home video. Just about every scene is an awkward, poorly set up contrivance, the jokes are howlers. And once again we have actors overdoing the stereotype of an Italian-American accent by using a New York accent...in a movie that takes place in Boston.

Everything about this movie was bad, the conversations between the Italian and Italian-American characters being the very worst of it. Not five seconds goes by without a cliché, which almost becomes comforting in its predictability.

For a while I watched this movie just to see if it was as dismal as it seemed when I first tuned in. It was. I went against my rule of always watching movies through to the end, but ended up turning it off. I have no idea how it even ends, and I don't even care.

Everybody who loves romantic comedy ought to get this film tonight!

[inkblot11 · 8/10 · 1 July 2010]

Jake (Jay Jablonski) is still stuck on his old, Italian-American girlfriend. Nevermind that she married someone else eight years ago, after Jake cheated on her, and has had three children. Jake still shows up at her apartment with flowers and his declarations of love. This not only annoys his ex and her family, but nearly everyone Jake knows. From his florist, Theresa (Penny Marshall) to his fellow workers at a fish market, Jake is constantly urged to "move on" in the romance department. Most of the market's employees are Italian but Jake is not, having inherited the fishy place from his deceased, Polish-American parents. One night, one of the guys spies a beautiful woman, Marisa (Cerisa Vincent) and invites her to the next Italian club dance to meet Jake. Although she tries to tell him that she is not Italian, he doesn't listen. Later, this man urges Jake to attend the dance and pretend that HE, Jake, is Italian as well, to impress Marisa. Very reluctantly, Jake agrees. Well, well, the two really do seem to have eyes for each other, although Jake makes no bones about telling Marisa that he is already "involved" with someone else. For a quick revenge, Marisa runs up the restaurant bill on their first date! Ha ha. However, the two decide to become "just friends" and pal around together as running companions, etc. What follows is a romantic cat-and-mouse game, especially since Jake's ex does appear to be casting eyes at him again. Will Jake and Marisa realize they are meant for each other and will it matter when they both find out that neither of them is Italian? This is an extremely enjoyable and clever romantic comedy set in a lovely old neighborhood in Boston. The cast is delightful, although few of them are familiar to most audiences. The two leads, Jablonski and Vincent, are very attractive and winning while the Italian-heritaged workers of the fish market are a stitch and more. Costumes are also lovely, with Vincent looking sharp at every turn. Yes, occasionally, the situations become slightly risqué and the language a bit salty. But, overall, with its very funny script and well-paced, secure direction, this is a true gem for nearly everybody, Italian or not. Want to laugh tonight, folks? Search high and low for this very good film.

Saw it. Critics are right

[lebowskiunderachiever · 2/10 · 8 September 2008]

I attended a screening of this movie. It was wrought with clichés and very unfunny jokes and set ups. I think the other comments were by people who must've worked on the movie or been family members of the cast. I'm amazed this movie cost $3-$4 million without any real stars. Where did the budget go? It obviously didn't go to writers for re-writes. Nice thought to bank on the success of Big Fat Greek Wedding, but a major miss. There was little or any spark between the main characters and the inciting incident was a bit flimsy at best. The direction was uninspired and looked like a student film.

I don't even know what it means Everybody Wants to Italian. Is that a real saying. I've never heard it.

With a good script it could have been great!

[ogreville · 5/10 · 19 February 2009]

There are a couple of flaws with this film. It feel slightly untidy and rough around the edges. It obviously lacked funding and was clearly targeted at the Sat night American market. It lacks the strong script of an independent film, but also the big budget for a good cinematographer, or at least a screenwriter to tie up the loose ends.

I was expecting two distinctive things from this film - stereotypical Italians and one dimensional characters, orbiting the main cast and providing us with some ethnicity based comedy. At one point we see a man in a white vest shouting from a window!!! The second aspect of the film I was expecting was two lovable main characters. Unfortunately Cerina Vincent failed to soften at any point during the film. I understand this is how her character is written, but any characteristic which would endear her to the audience failed to materialise, even towards the end of the film. Jay Jablonski put in a surprisingly good performance as a rude, childish but ultimately likable stalker. He just about managed to rescue his character despite the poor script. Unfortunately his character lacked emotional consistency and therefore came across as slightly mentally ill, perhaps with a touch of schizophrenia.

If you like hearing Italian dialogue in a film, (which was all very authentic, apart from the two old people), then go see Everybody Wants to Be Italian, but there isn't much else holding it together.

Wtf was this

[kbearbennett · 2/10 · 22 March 2024]

This movie is a nightmare. Every character is a jerk, every man is a sexist pos, and there are so many horrible quips/remarks. Jake is such a terrible person, Marisa is an idiot, and everyone else sucks. But the character's aren't quirky or endearing in their terribleness like in some '90s-2000s films, but just people being mean because haha calling someone x is funny.

The movie is so confusing and weird that I don't know what's going on. But it's so stupid that it's an okay watch at times, hence the 2 stars. If you want to make fun of something, go for it, but as an actual romcom it's trash.

Similar Reaction

[icky_lump · 9/10 · 5 September 2008]

I too had similar reactions in the theater I went to this week. Audience I would say liked the film, let's say a 3 out of 5 star and what I have read online so far especially from the NYC critics is like a 1 out of 5, there is no way this film is a 1, what are you watching or are we so used to what Hollywood has been running out there every five days that we forget about movies like The Godfather, hello, do you remember the score, it wasn't like it kept flowing, there were times where you could fall asleep, but no one is questioning one of the best movies of all time, now this is no Godfather, but the cast, Jay Jablonski, Cerina Vincent, Marisa Petroro, John Enos, and John Kapelos, all inter-act on screen nicely, the story line and characters ARE believable, have you ever spent time listening to Italian guys talk, this is the real deal. Call it what you will but my Italian step-father agrees 100% he loved the film. I hope the general population will not read some of the so called, "Critic's" and question exactly what they are talking about, they get paid for these comments?