Comedian, actor, and director Kevin James ventures into the romantic comedy genre with his latest film, Solo Mio. The film narrates the tale of an unforeseen wedding mishap that leaves the groom, Kevin James, stranded in Rome, heartbroken amidst the city known for its happiness. However, with the help of a determined local woman and a few meddling vacation couples, his ruined honeymoon transforms into an unexpected adventure.
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Kevin James expressed how the film not only reshaped his perspective on love stories but also highlighted the power of human kindness in overcoming personal challenges.
How did this amazing story come about?
"I wish I could take all the credit for that, but it's the Kinnane directors, the writers, and the great actors that we hired here. We got lightning in a bottle, and it felt like that. I'm not the typical rom-com guy, but that's why it was so important."
"I love what you said about the hand coming out to help the character up. We get [that] from Kim Coates and Jonathan Roumie in this movie, who are both on their honeymoon, to help me out. I love it, and it's just funny, and they get involved to help me when they should literally be tending to their own wives on their own honeymoon. They love me so much all of a sudden that I become their art project. They help me grow."
Outside of the love and comedy, the written dialogue stood out to me. It felt particularly relevant in helping individuals, whether men or women, learn to heal.
"It’s true. It’s meant for anyone who doesn’t give up. We all fall; no couple is perfect. We all face challenges, and the variations are of course different, but the important thing is that we can all overcome them. The only solution is to get back up."
Creatively, was it purposeful for you to make sure the culture of the city was shown and incorporated or did that just come along with the writing?
"It was purposeful that we wanted to do that, but you never expect to get it the way we did. I’ll give you an example. Not only did we think Italian scenery would be great, but we got an Italian crew, our Italian lead actress, and she's the best. Nicole Grimaudo is just amazing. We didn't expect that. We didn't know. So it took on a life of its own, and we all grew as a family of us working with them, and that elevated everything. It just felt like a family. Honestly, it's the movie I'm most proud to be a part of."
Solo Mio is now in theaters nationwide.