DIRECTORS
Charles and Daniel Kinnane
Home Team

STARS
Kevin James, Nicole Grimaudo, Kim Coates, Allyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie, Julee Cerda and Andrea Bocelli

Dear readers, it is late February 2026, yet we may already have the feel-good film and best romantic comedy of the year upon us! Boasting a modest budget of $4 million, not boasting a star-studded cast and being released by a less major distributor, this American-produced but not American-set rom-com could easily fly under people’s radar and go unseen by many. I implore you to not let this genuine gem become a hidden gem, for it truly is one of the finest family-friendly films of its genre released this century!

If there is one particular place we would never expect to remain standing alone indefinitely and nervously waiting in limbo, it is at the wedding altar. Tragically, that is precisely the fate that befalls groom Matt Taylor (Kevin James), whose fiancée is a no-show at their idyllic wedding ceremony in the Italian capital. I’ll leave it to the film to explain the circumstances behind the no-show, but what Matt does next is quite brave. With many friends in Rome to celebrate his special day, including on-again off-again couple Jules (Kim Coates) and Meghan (Allyson Hannigan) and bickering therapist couple Donna (Julee Cerda) and Neil (Jonathan Roumie), Matt decides to stay in Italy for his honeymoon and make the most of what is already paid for. By doing so, he meets a few colourful characters, such as the perhaps a little intoxicated Claudia at a bar, but it is his crossing of paths with an incredibly warm and kind cafe manager, Gia (Nicole Grimaudo) that could begin to heal his shattered heart and open new possibilities.

The vibe it immediately summons, the tune it serenades to us, the picturesque stills to lovingly gaze at, the goodwill and integrity of the writing and characterisation… there is just so much that Solo Mio individually invents and more than successfully combines to provide audiences an unrelentingly feel-good and highly engaging experience.

I mean, to sit comfortably and bask in the glory of Roma’s stunning landmarks and Italia’s beautiful scenery and building architecture is reason enough, in my books, to view the film. The visual charm comes seamlessly to the film courtesy of its setting of course, yet the film’s charm doesn’t end there and in fact extends to all of its other components.

One of its winning, albeit bittersweet, ways of walking into our hearts is through the playfully and slightly exaggerated depiction of being alone in places one typically is less likely to be solo. Cue star Kevin James’ publicity stunt mentioned in my social media posts ;-). Another is its authenticity in writing and characterisation, which identifies language barrier opportunities to present humourous misunderstandings that occur and ongoing character development that unveils their purity of intent and a surprising twist! On that note, to compliment how well-cast Solo Mio is, Sicilian-born Italian actress Nicole Grimaudo (from recent Italian Film Festival hit Diamonds/Diamanti) was not fluent in English during production and learned her dialogue phonetically while working with a translator on set. Her (at times) broken English and regular Italian speaking play a major part in bringing the screenplay’s authenticity to life. Not to mention, Gia is an immediately and irresistibly loveable character, and Nicole Grimaudo’s delivery of dialogue and comic timing is impressive and consistently spot on. Irrespective of whether it is just kindness of a stranger, companionship or more, the on-screen chemistry she shares with Kevin James is pretty special. As for Kevin James, he not only proves he’s still got that cuddly charm we know and love(d) him for, but I will go out on a limb and proclaim Matt Taylor to be his best film role and this his best big-screen performance to date!

So much to be besotted by and I haven’t even mentioned renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s contribution to the film or its absolutely gorgeous score that enhances every heartwarming, joyful and bittersweet moment there is!  What is the worst that can said of Solo Mio? Admittedly, there is the odd scene and sentence in its final cut that would be better left on the cutting room floor and the appearance of a character at a gathering later in the film is hard to make sense of. But honestly, if one must be THAT nitpicky to find fault from (just over) an hour and a half of genuinely gleeful cinema, it is there only to emphasise its excellence.

Solo Mio is showing in cinemas across Australia from February 26th, 2026.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

LIKE on Facebook – @moviedoc13 / Follow on Instagram – moviedoc_melbourne

©