‘Spin Me Round’ – movie review

Category: Movies

 

As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  That is what Amber (Alison Brie) discovered when she was awarded an all-expense paid trip to Italy for her service as the manager of an Italian chain restaurant. Spin Me Round explores the dark side of wealth and fame.

A vacation filled with Italian charm and excitement. That is what Amber expected when she left Bakersfield, California and arrived in Italy, along with several other managers from various locations. The popular chain restaurant runs these getaways for deserving managers and this time it’s Amber’s turn. Maybe she’ll experience a little romance while in Italy. Or maybe she’ll experience something altogether different.

The trip was supposed to offer the attendees a crash course in Italian culture and the culinary arts. Attendees expected they would stay in a gorgeous villa, but unfortunately that was not to be. Well, at least she was in Italy.

Things go from bad to great to really bad.  Through this entire ordeal Amber experiences a variety of emotions and a lot of occurrences as she exposes what is at the root of the little getaway. This is definitely not a show for kids.

Director/Co-Writer Jeff Baena explains, “I came across this article that was describing an actual program that took place in Italy, with a franchise Italian restaurant that I can’t name. The person who wrote the article was a manager, and there was this program where you go to Italy and learn about the culture. It was a total sh** show, and they didn’t really have any plans. The only thing they had planned out was that the head chef, the person who curates their global menu, made a bolognese for them. After that, there was no structure or organization. For the participants, it felt like they were trapped by this program. I thought that was a really funny setup, and so I ran with it to a darker place.”

Alison Brie not only stars in the film, she co-wrote it with Baena. Also in the film are Alessandro Nivola, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayeri, Ben Sinclair, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan, and Fred Armisen.

The movie could have been great fun had they not taken it to the dark depths they did. It had the potential of being cute, funny, and interesting. There are some cute scenes, however.

Spin Me Round will be released in theaters, on demand, and on AMC+ on August 19, 2022. It was filmed entirely in Tuscany. It is not rated, however it is not for kids.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.