"Solo Mio" (2026): A Fresh Romantic Comedy
"Solo Mio" is a film that we haven’t seen in a while.
Love brings challenges and adventures.
Solo Mio flew into theaters in 2026. Matt Taylor’s fiancée stands him up at the altar. As he attempts to find answers about his lost romance, Matt ventures the streets of Rome doing activities alone. In his journey, he meets new people.
Solo Mio is a film that we haven’t seen in a while. I watched it in a full theater on Valentine’s Day. It’s a sweet romance story about relationships, finding yourself, and new adventures. Romance is not like fairy tales, and we have to learn new lessons to act better.
We all know Kevin James from films like Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups, and Zookeeper. This is a new side of James. Solo Mio presents James’ dramatic chops as Matt, a man who is stood up at the altar. James is a different type of romantic lead. Matt is pleasant, understanding, and never becomes mean-spirited in everything that happens.
Travel movies mean one thing: characters, and lots of them. Matt is not totally alone on his unexpected non-wedding story. The characters are typical tropes. Matt befriends a few other honeymoon couples, most of whom like to bicker. You have one couple who have remarried three times, and another whose history sparks debate.
Matt finds solace in Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), who gives him advice and keeps him smiling. They have a sweet relationship. When casting for the role, filmmakers learned that Grimaudo is a singer in Italy. Despite not being fluent in English, Grimaudo was cast when filmmakers noticed chemistry between her and James during a Zoom meeting.
More credits include Alyson Hannigan, Kim Coates, Jonathan Roumie, Julie Cerds, Julie Ann Emery, and Alessandro Carbonara. Special appearances include Andrea Bocelli and Ed Sheeran. Producer Frankie Nasso has a connection with the Bocelli family, and after meeting with him at a fundraiser in Italy, Bocelli agreed to one day of filming.
First, a big thanks to Charles Kinnane and Daniel Kinnane for making a romance comedy that is out of the ordinary from the usual rom-com. In fact, this movie was a family project by all eight Kinnane brothers, who directed, co-wrote, edited, and were producers.
Kevin James was the one who pitched the idea to the Kinnane brothers. It’s also because of James that the film takes place in Italy. I wanted to jump through the screen to join the characters in Italy’s gorgeous destinations.
James said he had the best time in Italy, trying out new foods. The whole film crew was Italian. Behind-the-scenes, everyone was having fun working on the movie. They developed close friendships. James, Coates, and Roumie enjoyed their scenes together.
What makes Solo Mio work is its balance between comedy and character. There are several funny moments. The script is packed with funny one-liners, visual gags, and comedic timing. Some moments in the middle felt like filler.
It’s a silly comedy but also has a gratifying moral about romance, newfound friendships, and finding yourself. While not the prime focus, the film establishes that it’s okay to be independent. Making new friendships is fun, but make an effort to enjoy your own company. Vacations make an excellent learning spot.
This movie filled up the whole movie theater, and I loved that. Movies need to be experienced in the theater. People were laughing and felt bad for Matt’s situation. The film brought together several connections that day.
Solo Mio is a lighthearted rom-com. It’s movies like these that don’t get enough marketing and end up in the collection of underrated gems.
About the Creator
Marielle Sabbag
Writing has been my passion since I was 11 years old. I love creating stories from fiction, poetry, fanfiction. I enjoy writing movie reviews. I would love to become a creative writing teacher and leave the world inspiring minds.
Keep reading
More stories from Marielle Sabbag and writers in Geeks and other communities.
Send Help (2026) - A Movie Review
You call being stuck on a desert island horrible? Send Help crashed-landed in theaters in 2026. Linda Liddle has been overlooked in the office for too long. After a plane crash, Linda and her malicious boss, Bradley Preston, are stranded on a desert island. The battle of office ranks continues as they fend for themselves and search for help.
By Marielle Sabbag2 days ago in Geeks
Britney Spears’s Back-Catalogue Sale Signals a Music Industry Turning Inward
The recent sale of Britney Spears’s back catalogue has become more than just another high-profile financial transaction. It stands as a revealing symbol of a music industry increasingly focused on recycling its past rather than building its future. As one of pop music’s most influential artists of the last three decades, Spears’s decision to sell the rights to her recorded music and publishing assets underscores a broader shift in how value is created and preserved in the modern entertainment economy. Catalog sales have surged in recent years, driven by investment firms eager to acquire reliable revenue streams from established hits. For companies facing uncertainty in touring income and volatile streaming payouts, owning proven music assets offers financial security. Spears’s catalogue, which includes global anthems such as …Baby One More Time and Toxic, represents a stable and predictable source of income through streaming platforms, advertising, and licensing deals. Yet the sheer scale of these transactions highlights an industry that appears increasingly dependent on yesterday’s successes. The move comes at a time when the music business is grappling with structural challenges. Streaming has transformed consumption habits but has also concentrated profits among a small group of top artists and rights holders. While platforms boast billions of users, the average musician earns little from digital plays alone. This imbalance has led to an environment where legacy catalogs—already famous and algorithm-friendly—are far more attractive to investors than untested new music. Spears’s sale also reflects changing priorities for artists themselves. After years of legal battles over control of her career and finances, monetizing her catalogue provides both financial independence and emotional closure. For performers who endured intense public scrutiny and rigid contracts in earlier eras, selling rights can be seen as reclaiming agency in an industry that historically favored record labels over creators. However, critics argue that the growing obsession with back catalogues is a sign of creative stagnation. Instead of funding emerging talent or experimenting with new sounds, corporations are pouring billions into music that has already proven profitable. This inward collapse risks narrowing the cultural space for innovation, as marketing budgets and radio exposure continue to prioritize familiar songs over fresh voices. There is also a cultural cost. Music has long functioned as a mirror of social change, reflecting new identities, struggles, and movements. When investment strategies dominate artistic strategy, music risks becoming a financial instrument first and an expressive medium second. The industry’s fixation on nostalgia may provide short-term returns but could weaken its long-term relevance to younger audiences seeking authenticity and originality. At the same time, the phenomenon reveals how music has become a financial asset class. Songs are now treated like real estate or stock portfolios, valued for their ability to generate recurring revenue rather than emotional connection alone. Spears’s catalogue sale joins a growing list of similar deals by iconic artists, reinforcing the idea that pop history is being consolidated into corporate ownership. Yet the implications go beyond business. For fans, these transactions can feel unsettling, as the emotional legacy of an artist becomes controlled by anonymous investment groups. Decisions about licensing, remixes, and branding are increasingly driven by profitability rather than artistic intent. The risk is that music once shaped by personal struggle and creative vision may be repackaged endlessly to suit advertising campaigns and film soundtracks. Britney Spears’s catalogue sale is therefore not just a financial headline—it is a cultural signal. It reveals an industry seeking safety in its own archive, wary of risk and uncertain about the future. Whether this trend represents a temporary phase or a lasting transformation will depend on whether record labels and investors eventually rediscover the value of nurturing new talent alongside preserving old hits. For now, the deal stands as a powerful reminder: the music industry may be moving forward technologically, but economically and creatively, it appears to be turning inward—relying on the past to secure its future.
By Fiaz Ahmed 6 days ago in Geeks
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.