Two Scoops of Italy

L. A. chef Danielle Turner (Hunter King) is struggling for inspiration as she searches for a new menu in her restaurant reopening. Her sister convinces her to visit the Italian countryside. She gets involved with local gelato maker Giancarlo Donati (Michele Rosiello).

These are two gorgeous people in a Hallmark romance. More than anything, I'm looking for a little Italian vacation in an Italian villa with some local Italian flavors. I do really like the Italian locations. I wish the interior scenes are lit differently. It just needs to be more cinematic and less TV movie. It's a fine Hallmark flick and get to travel a bit.

'Two Scoops of Italy' is a romantic comedy. Being a Hallmark movie, it is predictable. But being familiar with Hallmark's predictability it came as no surprise, and I knew what to expect going into this movie. That's what Hallmark is about: family entertainment.

Danielle is a chef, and she desperately needs inspiration for a new menu to save her restaurant. When her sister suggests she goes to Italy, Danielle sees it as the perfect opportunity to clear her mind, and concentrate on a new menu - and be inspired by the tastes of Italy.

Meanwhile in Italy, Giancarlo - who works at his family restaurant - is tired of the restaurant's same-old gelato flavours, and is trying to create an exciting new flavour. His most demanding 'critic' is a young boy who prefers strawberry flavour, and Giancarlo is trying to win him over with new flavours.

Danielle and Giancarlo meet by chance, and she helps him with new flavours - so much so that she neglects working on her new menu. Yes-yes, we know from the very beginning they are bound to fall hopelessly in love, but this was what I was in the mood for at the time: a romantic comedy to put a smile on my face - and it did.

Chef Danielle goes to Italy, encouraged by her sister Sarah, to get inspiration for her failing restaurant. In the small Italian town, she meets the initially grouchy Giancarlo, who is helping his father at their family cafe. Her small rental is managed by the lovely Elida who recommends some light reading and becomes Danielle's friend. Eventually Giancarlo becomes Danielle's tour guide and in return she helps him make a special gelato flavor that will win over a local nine year old named Nico...in order to add a new flavor to his father's same old gelato flavors.

I really enjoyed the actor Michele Rosiello, who played Giancarlo. I thought he and Hunter King had great chemistry and kept me interested in the story, which had some highlights and a few annoyances. I was sad that Danielle could go to Italy and not come up with a totally inspiring new menu for her restaurant. It was fun to have a fictional story woven into the film. I also loved seeing the local games played and the small community.

Overall the film was very positive and I think most romantics will enjoy this film, making it a recommendation from me.

While this movie includes some of Hallmarks traditional storylines what sets it apart is the acting skills of Hunter King and Michele Rosiello as the main characters, Danielle and Giancarlo. There's just a special chemistry between these two actors which gives an authentic feel to this relationship which keeps the viewer engaged in the story. Other characters are also perfectly cast. The story revolves around Danielle's failed restaurant in the U. S., and an investor who is ready to pull out unless there are drastic changes in the works that would help turn the business around. Danielle imbarks on a trip to Italy where she plans to taste the food and get ideas and inspiration for a new restaurant menu. She is charmed by the quaint village and its people and meets Giancarlo and he also has some new ideas and dreams for the Cafe he and his father run. A subplot has to do with a book she is given to read. There are also a couple of surprises in the plot too. A charming film, beautifully acted and the chemistry is superb.

7.6 stars.

A woman owns a restaurant in America and has run out of good ideas. Now her restaurant is in jeopardy of closing and her investor is about to cut his losses and run. She has little time left to become inspired and to improve everything about her business. She flies off to Europe to a quaint town in Italy for a short vacation and to spark her creativity.

The rest of the film is predictable. If you had to guess, what sort of man do you think she meets there? You guessed it, he's a man who works in a cafe. Check. Question number two: Is he an Italian man with a thick accent who has all the great ideas she needs to help her to innovate her restaurant? Check. Do all the people in this little town love her and she loves them and she considers staying? Check. Does she do a little matchmaking of two secondary cast members? Check. Is the leading man missing a parent? Check. Does the leading man have a slightly tense relationship with his father? Check. Is she missing a parent or two? Unknown. Is there a "book within a book" aspect of the theme. Check.

I was pleasantly surprised when the romance happened, because a few parts of that sequence were a bit unorthodox for Hallmark. Not very different, but just enough to get me interested in a sequel. I hope they do one, but I doubt they will. I'm still waiting for sequels to a dozen other greats from this past year.