User reviews

This movie was beautifully filmed and well acted, and I loved seeing Roman sights and learning a little about the culture. I only had two problems with this movie; one small (Angela hoofing it around Rome all day on those heels) and one big (Oliver's deep and abiding focus on only business and profits sure did change quickly, with zero growing pains). That being said, this movie did a pretty good job at making me think such a transformation may be possible with the right person and experiences. Well done!

Christmas in Rome was also filmed in Bucharest, Romania not only in Rome, Italy. I enjoyed the movie, nice sceneries and Lacey is one of my favourite Hallmark actress.

This has been a very drab year for these movies. I believe they're doing so many every year now that it's impossible to get new and interesting stories, and the performances they're getting from the actors have been fairly drab -- possibly rushing production to the point that the actors don't have time to get into their roles.

And even though we like this film, it's still pulling from the same list of plug-in cliches: girl fired just before Christmas, fixated businessman who needs to learn slow down and smell the roses, corporate acquisition needing to understand the family business to be acquired.

Despite the plot cliches, the people behind this film get bonus points for deciding to spend the bucks to film on location in Rome. Some of the great sites of the city serve as the backdrop for many scenes, and every scene has atmosphere in the location. It was a good idea done well. And too many of these movies are a "good idea bungled".

Next, the leads connect. Another mistake many of these movies make is not actually putting the leads on screen together enough, so their developing relationship gets hard to buy. Here, the leads share virtually all of the screen time, allowing a believable chemistry to develop.

Finally, FRANCO NERO! Great decision to add this wonderful actor into the mix. I've been a fan since Camelot -- yes, THAT long. LOL At 77 during filming, he could pass for 60. He still looks great. He isn't given much of a challenge in his role -- mostly turning a quizzical eye on the American businessman fumbling with the "ways of Rome", but it's still great to see him. -- and looking at his IMBD page, he's still very much in demand. I don't think I've ever seen a page with so many upcoming roles!

This is one we'll want to watch again in coming years -- the first time I've been able to say that about the 2019 crop of films.

The American Angela is a tour guide in Rome who gets fired at Christmas! She generously agrees to help American businessman Oliver to a crash course in Rome.

"Christmas in Rome is very special."-Luigi.

Ok, Rome at Christmas is spectacular! Thank you for the lovely backdrop for a romantic Hallmark movie.

(Italians are definitely my people if they think 10am is early!)

The banter was great between Angela and Oliver, and I really appreciated the buildup of their romantic relationship. I appreciated that our businessman, Oliver wasn't a Christmas hater.

I would love to hire Angela's company for her boutique travel experience.

This was beautiful, fun and funny...exactly what you want for a holiday romance. You should watch this sweet and very positive film. Beautiful! Molto Bene!

6.8 stars.

This one grows on you. My first impression was this is a bit cheesy, there are going to be weird and fake Italian accents, it's not serious. I felt the plot was too intricate and being set in Italy made it that much more difficult to pull off. How are they going to make fake Italian sets and backdrops? Not a chance.

As the movie continues I notice that the setting is real, the people are genuine, and the romance is very gradual and delightful. I was pleasantly surprised by how it blossoms into a very full and authentic Rome experience. Magnifico!

Why only 6.8 stars? There was an imperceptible lack of chemistry between the two leads, and the other cast as well. The dialogue was centered more on the business and career aspects and a bit less on the growth of the romance. I am unable to describe it, only that I did not get the overflowing hint of innocent sensuality that some Hallmark movies express. It felt a bit contrived somehow. I hope I am inaccurate. If you pick up on a more elevated romantic impression, you will love this movie beyond expectation. The setting, scenery, and the background actually taking place in Rome is no meager accomplishment.

Quel bacio è stato molto commovente.

Great fun movie. I was in Rome a year ago and it was wonderful seeing all the beautiful spots again. This movie is visually stunning. Love the actors. I wish Hallmark would keep the tried and true actors in their movies more frequently. Love love Lacey. No matter she's in she rocks it.

7/10 - light holiday fun with the incomparable Lacey Chabert

This is the typical, formula, stereo-typed Hallmark Christmas movie plotline. There is nothing new or surprising about this romance story - you've seen it all before (probably many times) other than the fact that some scenes are actually shot in Rome which does add some uniqueness. Nevertheless, the always good stars, Lacey Chabert and Sam Page, rise way above the lackluster material and give some really nice performances that make sitting through this, ultimately, okay. Once. But not again. Fun to see Franco Nero, an Italian actor who became an international heartthrob during the late 60's, 70's and early 80's, show up as "Luigi" (of course), but he really isn't given much to do or say. The rest of the cast works well, too, despite the trite script. It's time for Hallmark to realize that taking their really talented performers and sticking them in boring stories just because they take place in London, Rome, Graceland, Dollywood (that one was a real stinker this year), etc. does not guarantee viewership. As a matter of fact, we quit watching the Dollywood one half way through. Never saw Dolly Parton!

This is a great vehicle to do different things in a Christmas movie. For one thing, this movie is as much a travel movie in a fictional setting as it is a Christmas movie, at least in the beginning. So many things are new to the American especially one who has never been to Rome. Beauty is an understatement. Wow. And it goes deeper than the view. Angela is teaching Oliver about the culture and traditions in Rome. I have no reason to believe those things are anything but accurate. This whole aspect alone of the movie makes it very enjoyable.

I wanted to do a spot fact check, so I looked up the three coins in the fountain. There was a movie by that name that goes along with the legend Angela quoted. I found one reference to that legend that went beyond that movie, so it appears this reference in the movie is at least partially accurate and possibly entirely accurate.

It is refreshing that you don't see snowball fights or Santa Claus in this movie but there are a few traditional activities that are familiar. If you watch as many Christmas movies as I do, that's a nice change.

Lest you think it's all business, or touring the sights, Chabert and Page manage some chemistry and some witty dialogue.

This is at least the second movie Lacey Chabert and Hallmark have done recently that goes behind the scenes in a travel setting. I can guess that there will be more to come. (I don't remember if Love on Safari fits this model exactly, but I think it probably does.) I thought this edition was better than the previous one(s) (Love, Romance, and Chocolate).

Does a movie have to have conflict or tension? For me, in Romance movies, especially Christmas movies, I can live without it if the story is otherwise enjoyable. There is a bit of tension with Oliver's boss being too demanding which results in a plot line that has been overused in this kind of movie. It works here, but I didn't think it was needed.

The climax includes a choir singing a Christmas song in St. Peter's square, another impressive sight (although some of it looked green screened).

There are pluses and minuses in this movie, but for me, the pluses were enough to get the best rating.

Ahhhhh .... another notch in the string of Lacey Chabert Christmas themed romances blossoms. Just what we need every year at least twice eh? My header comment is based on how silly Lacey Chabert looked playing a tour guide in Rome, Italy named Angela de Luca who can seemingly get by financially providing a private tour to one young executive named Oliver Martin (Sam Page) who is trying to close a deal with an Italian businessman named Luigi Forlinghetti (Franco Nero). Angela and her client Oliver are seen walking up and down the hilly streets of Rome Italy wearing coats that are always wide opened, and her wearing 3 inch high heel boots instead of running shoes.

If you can get by these two phoney Americans looking totally out of place as if they own the city of Rome and no one is around them doing business or just living in the bustling city of Rome, then maybe the premise of this film will inspire you to also find romance in Rome whilst making a magical fruit cake just like Lacey and Oliver did.

I give it a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating for some level of originality and of course for the beautiful scenic views of Rome, Italy, although some of this picture was filmed in Bucharest, Romania of all places which has some beautiful castles and panoramic views as well. Typical of some Americans not knowing what country there in.

Not quite as cringey as the average Hallmark Christmas movie. Predictable and cheesy, yes, but also with better acting and actual friendship developing between the characters before the romance. I did miss a bit of romantic spark between the main characters, though. Their friendship had spark, but the romance became a little...rational instead of emotional. The cast was definitely better than average, and I liked the details about Rome. I have no idea if they were accurate, and there may have been some stereotypes I know nothing about, but as a foreigner I found the depiction of Rome really enjoyable. Hated the horse and carriage scene. That was the most cringeworthy moment of the entire movie. All in all, I found this to be one of the better cheesy Christmas movies in a long time.

That about sums it up. The two actors have about as much chemistry and peanut butter and pickles. The scene where the leading man is supposed to declare his feelings for "Angela" is painful for him to deliver--the look on his face as if even he knows it's not believable. If you watch it with the sound down and don't listen to the trite dialogue, you should enjoy the view!

Angela de Luca (Lacey Chabert) is an American guiding tours in the city of Rome. She loves giving extras to her clients but she gets fired for not staying strictly on schedule. She bumps into workaholic businessman Oliver Martin (Sam Page) who is there over Christmas to acquire a traditional factory from Luigi Forlinghetti. Business-obsessed Oliver do not impress Luigi and he hires Angela to appease Luigi.

This is as bland as any Hallmark romances and that's fine. It's Christmas Hallmark romance. It's the unavoidable positivity of Lacey Chabert. The best of all is Rome. It's a tourist view of Rome. It stops at the main places and has a few walks around town. It makes for nice background TV while one is busy doing something else to prepare for Christmas.

The sights are breathtaking, so much history! The relationship of Lacy and Sam is lovely, they both find a new look at Rome with their new eyes! This is one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen in quite a while! ENJOY!

Although I'm a big fan of Marlon Brando, Sam Page who bears a striking resemblance to him, looks a bit like Mr B as his appearance was in demise, which is a shame because Sam has always been so handsome before. He's still got a certain something, but I'm not sure he can carry on as the romantic lead for much longer, unless they match his age a bit more. Although I suppose that age is nothing but a number. Maybe if he had a beard? It's a minor point from a shallow person.

The film as a whole was actually quite nice. It's a bit sunny for a winter based film, but it is set in another country and they still experience lots of festive things. This time however, they are incorporating the traditions of a different culture, the Italians, for a change and in a clever way, by being there, without just lumping it in for the sake of it on top of another story. There is a lot of stuff in here that I'd never heard about.

The production is all very well done and the location is beautiful, some of the effects were a bit dodgy and when they have to use a Vespa because the traffic is so bad, they should probably have some actual traffic, but other than that it was all nicely put together.

I'm not sure that the ending is totally believable, but it was a cute romantic story.

7ish?/10.

The backdrop of Rome was wonderful. The sights and sounds of Italy at Christmas time was beautiful. Angela and Oliver are a lovely couple that have an "Italian Cupid" to make things right. I was impressed by Angela's strength of character and ready to make her way in the world.

Sam Page's and Lacey Chabert's acting was above average which made the movie so enjoyable. Very merry Christmas movie. Enjoy.

Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. One of my all time favourite holidays was going to Italy (Verona, Venice and Sirmione), so was very excited to see it again and it is always great to see any part of Italy on film or television. Lacey Chabert is another Hallmark regular leading lady and she is often watchable. Did not have many hopes at all for the story, which sounded like typical Hallmark and it seems that a lot of viewers felt that too.

To me, 'Christmas in Rome' was worthwhile and above average. The production values and acting are what saves it, how could anybody not love Rome ever and 'Christmas in Rome' does nothing to change this feeling. The story is pretty much as expected, so pretty much the component that to me seemed likely on paper to be the one to bring 'Christmas in Rome' down was in actuality what brought it down. One is best looking elsewhere if they want great dialogue here too. But despite saying that there are a lot of great things here.

First and foremost, the production values. 'Christmas in Rome's' biggest star is Rome (and it is the actual location this time) itself, which is nothing short of stunning. The camera clearly loves the locations too, because it is just as beautiful to watch without being too indulgent. The music is nostalgic and there is a sense of time and place, with an authentic Christmassy-feel and a touch of Italy as well. It doesn't make the mistake of most Hallmark Christmas films in being too constant or too loud. There is some nice sympathetic direction going on here and there.

Moreover, Chabert is very appealing and shows why she deserves to be one of Hallmark's most regular lead actresses. Sam Page is charismatic and has charm, he interacts very well with Chabert. They seem connected and to me there was the sense that they were in love. Hallmark don't always fare well having likeable lead characters, they're likeable here. The rest of the cast do well, Franco Nero does well with the little he has to work with.

It is a shame though that the dialogue is very vapid and can be too cheesy, silly and saccharine. The corn and sugar became too hard to take. The story is pretty much the same recycled plot elements seen in most Hallmark Christmas films with the only difference being the setting, while also being very thin and lacking in energy. 'Christmas in Rome' works well as a travelogue and a love letter to Rome but as a coherent and involving story it is a failure.

Other parts of the direction are routine and character changes and motivations can happen out of the blue and too quickly.

Summing up, the production values and acting were fine but the writing and story needed a lot more work. 6/10

Vranger's review pretty much said everything I was already thinking. I was just in Italy two months ago and I had such high hopes that this movie would be special. Yes, the scenery is beautiful and hearing about traditions and Italian words that I just learned myself was lovely but It truly is a repeat of the same storyline that Hallmark continues to use. Girl loses her job and decides to start her own company. Guy is with a large corporate entity who wants to buy a small business. The two of them literally "bump into each other" at the very beginning of the movie. -Also at the very beginning, a guy is walking through town carrying a fake Christmas tree that we are to believe is real... also 9 out of 10 people passing on the street are carrying shopping bags. Really? Everybody right there was out Christmas shopping? Christmas decor was way overdone as usual. We know it is Christmas. We don't need garland every 3 feet to tell us so. There were a few other little things that annoyed me but I don't remember them all. -Honestly, the feeling I got from the two of them is that they were good friends who were out sightseeing. I never really got much of any chemistry between them. -I did appreciate that this is another adult movie. What I mean is, there are no children in the storyline. So, they are not doing all the usual family things like going to the festival and making a snowman and making wreaths, etc. There is a little girl who makes a brief appearance and she and her Italian accent were definitely adorable. -The cast all did a great job acting and conveying the storyline being told. The scenery was just as I remembered Italy being. Those pine trees with the high canopy are really pretty and of course the old buildings. They even portrayed the hills which my legs and heart figured out very quickly while I was there!

• I just can't give high marks because the storyline has been done way too many times. I'm not saying I could write a better story but this is like Groundhog Day movies at Christmas. I wonder if Lacey gets tired of making this storyline as well? It is not one I would set out to watch again. If I was browsing channels and it was on, I might tune in for a few minutes hoping to catch some of the Italian scenery again.

Kmb_flip: The First Noel during the dance is from the 2004 album, "Christmas is Here," by Kevin C. Teasley and Carlton Blount.

I loved the authenticity of filming in Rome. The whole cast had a lovely chemistry and seemed to honestly enjoy being together, to make this a warm, uplifting Christmas special.

Having being to Rome many times I was sorry to note how few scenes were actually filmed there. As per the credits, this would have been better titled; "Christmas in Bucharest". . . As for the script, this was poor & the acting stiff. So many things did not make sense. An example is when the couple leave to attend a dinner empty handed, yet they are thanked for bringing 2 panettones!! There are a few scenes filmed in Rome, but not enough to satisfy. I was hoping for a much better film and would have forgiven the issues with the plot and acting if the film had actually been shot in Rome.