Are all relationships based on lies? Jake Bianski runs a fish market in north Boston, surrounded by Italians. For years, he's carried a torch for Isabella, an ex-girlfriend now married with three children and no interest in Jake. Yet, he tells everyone she's his girlfriend, including Marisa, a veterinarian his employees set him up with at the Italian singles club. She's interested in him until he tells her about his girlfriend, then he's persistent in asking her to be his friend. As the friendship bumps along, Jake realizes that reality may be better than fantasy, but what if Isabella changes her mind about Jake, and what if it comes out that Marisa, like Jake, isn't Italian?
Constructed out of tired jokes, vaguely familiar actors and a few forced and predictable situations, it's strictly a harmless place-filler.
– Stephen Whitty,
Newark Star-Ledger,
5 Sep 2008
rotten:
Full of clunky humor, battle-of-the-sexes musings and spicy accordion music, Everybody Wants to Be Italian is relentless -- but not necessarily relentless fun.
– Steven Rea,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
5 Sep 2008
rotten:
A box of cannoli long past its sell-by date.
– Justin Chang,
Variety,
5 Sep 2008
rotten:
This lame-brain romantic comedy strives hard for a shambling charm, but is unlikely to prove appealing to even the most undemanding of audiences.
– Frank Scheck,
Hollywood Reporter,
8 Sep 2008
rotten:
A clarification is in order. Nobody wants to be these Italians.