Solo Mio (2026) Angel/Comedy-Drama RT: 100 minutes Rated PG (some suggestive material, brief language, violence) Director: Chuck Kinnane and Dan Kinnane Screenplay: Kevin James, Patrick Kinnane and John Kinnane Music: Joy Ngiaw Cinematography: Jared Fadel Release date: February 6, 2026 (US) Cast: Kevin James, Nicole Grimaudo, Kim Coates, Alyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie, Julee Cerda, Julie Ann Emery, Alessandro Carbonara, Caterina Silva, Giancarlo Bartolomei, Andrea Bocelli, Veronica Berti, Virginia Berti.
Rating: ***
Twas the week before Valentine’s Day when all through the land/Hearts are aflutter and romance is on hand…. at the cinema, courtesy of Angel Studios, no less. Imagine that!
In their continued efforts to attract secular audiences, the studio that gave us His Only Son and Sound of Freedom now offers up Solo Mio, a PG-rated rom-com drama starring Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) as a decent, unassuming guy jilted at the altar by a runaway bride. Instead of slinking away and drowning in sorrow, he learns to live and love life again. It’s not a new story. You’ve heard it through and through. It may be a little creaky at times, but it has a nice way about it. It’s so good-natured; you can’t help but get caught up in it.
Matt Taylor (James) is a fourth grade art teacher who’s all set to marry his fiancee Heather (James’ Hitch co-star Emery) in Rome. Unfortunately, she bails at the last minute, leaving behind her engagement ring and a letter telling him she needs space. His heart shattered, he tries unsuccessfully to cancel the honeymoon package he had planned. When he can’t, he decides to go it alone, solo mio as it were. It proves to be a life-changing experience.
Matt becomes friends with two other American tourists, brash Julian (Coates, The Last Boy Scout) and sensitive Neil (Roumie, Jesus Revolution), and their wives, Meghan (Hannigan, American Pie 1-3) and Donna (Cerda, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers). The guys encourage him to put himself out there and enjoy his newfound freedom. He also develops a friendship with coffee shop proprietor Gia (Grimaudo, Un Professore), an upbeat sort who accompanies him on a few outings. Predictably, the friendship turns into something more. The complication, Matt hasn’t yet told Gia about being left at the altar only a few days prior. Yeah, not good, dude.
Unlike other Angel Studios films, Solo Mio does not end with a plea for audiences to “pay it forward” by scanning a QR code and buying tickets for those who can’t afford to see movies at the cinema. That always struck me as more shameless than altruistic. Can’t they just put it on their website? But I digress. We’re not here to talk about marketing tactics. This is a film review. Let’s talk film.
Directed by The Kinnane Brothers (Chuck and Dan), Solo Mio is a very good date movie. It’s pleasant and agreeable. It’s sweet without being saccharine. It’s funny without being mean-spirited. None of the humor is ever at the expense of somebody. It never even vilifies the runaway bride. The closest thing it has to an antagonist is Gia’s ex Vincenzo (Bartolomei) and his only sin is being arrogant. I am always gratified to see a comedy picture that doesn’t rely on meanness to elicit laughter. Given its PG rating, it’s not vulgar or gross either. This is a movie you can watch with your grandparents.
Few people seem to remember James’ turn as a romantic lead in 2005’s Hitch. His character was anything but a fat fool. He did a great job, but it’s typically eclipsed by Paul Blart 1 & 2 (2009-15) or Grown Ups 1 & 2 (2010-13). His low-key performance in Solo Mio is a delight to watch. He plays a character a lot of us can relate to. Matt is a nice guy who just wants to love and be loved in return. He just makes the same mistake many people have, he fell for the wrong person. He’s sad about it, but it turns out to be for the best when he encounters Gia. Grimaudo does a great job in the role. Her character is full of life and loves living it. She encourages Matt to do the same. She even takes him and his friends to her family home, a vineyard in Tuscany. The two have nice chemistry together.
Coates adds comic relief as Julian, a loud type with no understanding of boundaries. He’s only too glad to brag that he married the same girl three times. His wife, on the other hand, always looks annoyed. She can’t even be bothered to take fun selfies with her husband. Hannigan does a good job in the role. Roumie and Cerda are funny too. Their backstory is really something. She used to be his therapist. Yeah, that’s not too unethical. Famous tenor Andrea Bocelli, playing himself, contributes some beautiful music.
If you like beautiful scenery, you’re going to love Solo Mio. It has some gorgeous location shooting in Rome and Tuscany. We also get a gander at some scrumptious looking food. I just love it when romance is accompanied by exotic foreign locales.
In short, Solo Mio is a good movie. It’s lightweight enough that it won’t leave you feeling drained or exhausted. It’s very easygoing. There’s only one major twist near the end. I won’t say what, but it says something about the random nature of our universe. But let’s not get bogged down by philosophizing. That’s not the point of Solo Mio. It’s just a nice little rom-com drama that will make you smile.
