Genre: Romantic Comedy

Language: Italian with English Subtitles

Director: Neri Parenti

Cast: Christian De Sica, Sabrina Ferilli, Massimo Boldi, Ronn Moss & Danny De Vito

Released: 2004

Duration: 118 Minutes

Rating: M contains offensive language and sexual references

Distribution: Filmauro

Every year during the December holiday season the Italian cinema industry launches a number of Christmas movies (commedie natalizie). Characterised by simple madcap humour, these films are contemporary Doris Day-Rock Hudson style Italian comedies - fun, escapist and sexy.

Now for the first time on the big screen in New Zealand you can see what draws many people in Italy to the cinema in December - ‘Christmas in love’, from producer Aurelio De Laurentiis, is one of the best of these Christmas films; it had the highest grossing box office of all Italian films in 2005.

Unemployed American actor (Danny De Vito) and a TV Soap Opera Star (Ronn Moss) find themselves caught in the paths of 8 crazy Italian tourists hot for romantic adventure on their winter holiday in the Swiss Alps; a winter wonderland.

Professor Fabrizio Barbetti (Christian De Sica) passionately hates his ex-wife Lisa (sexy Sabrina Ferilli), or so it seems until they are coincidentally reunited while holidaying with their current spouses.

Also staying at the picturesque resort is Guido Baldi (Massimo Boldi), a successful 50-year-old businessman and racecar driver. He has fallen head over heels for a sexy young Russian model leaving behind his lovely wife and clever 20-year-old daughter, Monica (Cristiana Capotondi). Monica joins her father in Switzerland bringing along her new boyfriend, Brad (Danny DeVito).

Finally, Concetta (Annamaria Barbera), an avid fan of the soap opera ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’, wins a contest for ‘Christmas with Ridge’. The first prize is a whole week in the Swiss Alps with her unsuspecting sex fantasy, the star of the show played by Ronn Moss.

Each couple works through their romantic situations with hysterical results in giving us a wonderful taste of love Italian-style.

Winner 2005 David di Donatello Best Song; Nominated 2006 Golden Globes USA Best song