Review

"Two Scoops of Italy: A Gelato-Fueled Love Story That’s Sweeter Than a Hallmark Holiday Movie Marathon"

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a Hallmark movie got a passport, booked a flight to Italy, and fell head over heels in love with a gelato shop, Two Scoops of Italy is here to answer that very specific question. Released in 2024, this film is the cinematic equivalent of a double scoop of pistachio and stracciatella—sweet, predictable, and just a little nutty.

The plot is as comforting as a Hallmark holiday movie marathon in December: Emily (played by the perpetually perky Clara Bellamy) is a workaholic New Yorker who inherits a struggling gelato shop in a picturesque Italian village. Naturally, she’s never made gelato before, but hey, who needs experience when you have a montage of her spilling milk, dropping cones, and accidentally inventing a new flavor called “Melted Dreams”? Enter Luca (the impossibly handsome Matteo Rossi), the brooding local who teaches her the art of gelato-making while also melting her icy heart. Spoiler alert: they fall in love. Shocking, I know.

The film is packed with all the Hallmark movie staples: a quirky best friend who exists solely to deliver exposition, a villainous developer trying to buy the gelato shop, and enough shots of cobblestone streets and sun-drenched vineyards to make you book a flight to Italy immediately. There’s even a scene where Emily and Luca share a gelato cone in the rain, because apparently, Italians don’t believe in umbrellas.

What sets Two Scoops of Italy apart from your average Hallmark holiday movie is its self-awareness. At one point, Emily looks directly into the camera and says, “This feels like a Hallmark movie,” and honestly, it’s the most meta moment since Deadpool discovered chimichangas. The film knows it’s cheesy, and it leans into it with the confidence of someone who’s already ordered a second scoop.

In conclusion, Two Scoops of Italy is the perfect movie for anyone who loves Hallmark movies, gelato, or the idea of falling in love with a stranger who teaches you how to churn dairy products. It’s not going to win any Oscars, but it might just win your heart—or at least make you crave dessert. Two scoops? More like two thumbs up.