Review

Movie Review: Our Italian Christmas Memories
Subtitle: "When Family, Pasta, and Holiday Chaos Collide in the Most Predictably Heartwarming (and Hilarious) Way."

“Our Italian Christmas Memories” is Hallmark’s delightfully chaotic Christmas movie that proves one thing: nothing says “holiday magic” like family drama, way too much pasta, and a trip to Italy that turns into the most over-the-top Christmas celebration imaginable. If you’ve ever thought, “What if Christmas in Italy had more love, more food, and way too many family secrets?”—then this movie is your holiday dream come true.

The plot follows Emilia (played by Mira Sorvino), a woman who, after a small family crisis (read: way too much holiday stress), decides to take her family on a life-changing trip to Italy for Christmas. They’re heading to her late grandmother’s idyllic villa in the Italian countryside, because nothing screams holiday healing like an Italian Christmas full of over-the-top holiday food, family reunions, and a lot of dramatic rediscoveries. Naturally, Emilia hopes that this vacation will help patch up her family’s issues, but spoiler alert: it mostly just adds to the chaos.

Enter the family drama. Emilia’s siblings (played by Nino Manfredi and Alessandro Tiberi) are way too invested in making this trip perfect, even though they all have very different ideas of what Christmas should be. Some of them want to keep everything traditional (which involves way too many Christmas carols and not enough room for new traditions), while others are just here for the food (hello, pasta, cannoli, and way too much wine). Of course, Emilia’s not the only one with a secret agenda—her relatives keep reminding her of old family issues, like the mysterious family recipe for Christmas cookies that’s been secretly guarded for generations. Watching them try to fix everything while overindulging in pasta is pure comedy gold.

The humor in this movie is all about the disastrous family reunions that come with mixing Christmas, family traditions, and way too much Italian holiday cheer. There’s the classic moment where Emilia tries to take charge, only for her aunt to start giving her unsolicited holiday decorating tips, the cousin who absolutely insists on sharing her new “holiday trend” (which involves way too much glitter), and the unexpectedly awkward moments where Emilia’s family insists on reenacting all their “perfect family traditions”—even if it means waking up at 3 a.m. to decorate the Christmas tree and arguing over which pasta is “most appropriate” for Christmas dinner. At this point, Emilia just wants to enjoy the holidays without the stress—but of course, that’s impossible in a Hallmark movie.

And then, of course, there’s the romance (because what’s a Hallmark holiday movie without a little predictable love). Emilia’s old flame (played by Giovanni Ribisi) just so happens to be in town for the holidays—because of course he is—and they’re immediately thrust into a series of awkward reunions and romantic moments (because Italy). Every time they “accidentally” cross paths while making holiday cookies or arguing about which wine goes best with lasagna, you can practically hear the “I’m definitely not falling in love with you” music. But, of course, they are falling in love—because if Italy doesn’t bring out love and Christmas magic, what will?

The real star of the movie, though? The food. This is Italy, after all, and watching Emilia and her family eat their way through Christmas is as delightful as it is predictable. The movie includes a lot of pastas, cannolis, and holiday feasts that will have you simultaneously jealous of their culinary traditions and wishing for an Italian Christmas of your own. The family’s approach to food is as intense as their approach to love—everyone’s trying to outdo everyone else, and it’s hilarious to watch.

The grand finale? You can guess it—it’s a predictably perfect Christmas miracle. Family secrets are revealed, the mysterious family recipe is uncovered (thank goodness!), Emilia and her old flame finally admit their feelings, and everyone comes together for a heartfelt Christmas dinner that somehow includes every food item ever made in Italy. And, of course, there’s a kiss under the twinkling lights, the realization that family is everything (even if they do drive you a little crazy), and the ultimate Italian holiday miracle.

“Our Italian Christmas Memories” is a heartwarming and hilarious movie that proves that no matter how messy your family gets, the holidays are all about love, food, and way too many holiday traditions. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and seriously question why you’re not spending Christmas in Italy, then grab your coziest blanket, some holiday cookies, and get ready for a Christmas movie that’s as festive as it is delightfully chaotic. 🍝🎄🍷