User Reviews

Hallmark has stepped up their game this year. While the network has added more Jewish programming to its holiday slate in recent years, most of it has followed the same rubric of all the other films, only with far too many on-the-nose Jewish references (Delis! Bagels! Brisket! Nosey moms! Oy vey!).

Round and Round is a delightful surprise. The synopsis will immediately make you think it's just Hanukah Groundhog Day, and while there's an element of it, the film is meta enough (and aware of the Bill Murray classic's existence) to forge its own path, sometimes in unexpected ways.

The chemistry of the cast was quite good, and I found many of the jokes and sequences surprisingly postmodern for Hallmark and much smarter than one would expect.

Jewish or not, you'll get a kick out of Round and Round, which has just enough originality despite its time loop premise and a handful of Hallmark staples to feel fresh and inviting. Or better said, you'll enjoy it not for the predictable warm blanket of a Hallmark film you might expect, but because it's actually a smart little, well-written movie.

This was unexpectedly funny and an enjoyable story. Amidst the seventh night of Hanukkah celebration, Rachel meets Zach...twice. The first time he bumps into her racing for the train and ruins the jelly donuts from Goldberg's, the second time it's an introduction by her Grandma Rosie. Amidst all the nerd jokes and the Groundhog Day theme, there is actually a decent romance...set to a great 1980's soundtrack.

The parents have a great origin story, but this is really all about Rachel and Zack...and a little about Grandma Rosie. The supporting characters were fun and the only actor that seemed a bit miscast or awkward was Bex.

I also really appreciated the train stop busker who played both Christmas and Hanukkah songs, as well as the art exhibition at the senior center that had both Christmas and Hanukkah art displayed.

I think if you have a sense of humor, like romance, and appreciate Hanukkah...you might like round and round.

Each year Hallmark gives us a Hanukkah movie. For the last several years they have been a bit dry and focused on teaching the rest of the world what Jewish traditions are. Well forget all that. Round and round is a delightfully fun holiday movie that just so happens to feature a story that involves Hanukkah. Rachel gets stuck in a time loop and keeps repeating the same day over and over again. Through her loops she learns things about herself, meets a guy (often), and has a bit of caper-style fun along the way. This was a great movie that surprised me. I'd love to see Hallmark replay this one throughout the season. It's a keeper.

There is another movie that this movie echoes as well as Ground Hog Day but if I say what that is then it will give away the twist. Actually there are a couple of fresh plot points on GHD. It doesn't really give away much to say that Rachel starts enlisting the help of two other people as she repeats her 7th day of Hannukah. This adds a nerd factor to the story and it also gives a chance for them to mention other nerdy titles which include games.

I like Rachel played by Vic Michaelis who is completely new to me. Rachel has none of the faults that Bill Murray had to get rid of. It is actually suggested to Rachel that eliminating her faults is why she is in the time loop. Rachel is humble and has a servant mentality which is also suggested as one of her "faults". Michaelis and Bryan Greenberg have good chemistry.

The acting is good and there are a lot of good jokes. Lines are often delivered quickly which is difficult for me with a hearing problem but I still caught plenty of good ones.

Add another good Hannukah movie to the Holiday Season lineup.

This Hallmark holiday romance acknowledges that it is a variation on the film "Groundhog Day", then plots its own course through some twists and turns to a different take on the time loop story.

It all starts on the seventh day of Hanukkah, when Rachel (Vic Michaelis) encounters some difficulties, but makes it to the family celebration, where the drapes catch on fire.

After this complication, Rachel awakes the next day only to find that it is still the seventh day. Nevertheless, she sets about her daily activities---again with some difficulties---while aware of the similarities and differences from her yesterday. She confides in Zach (Bryan Greenberg), a new acquaintance who seems to be a part of the overall scheme of the day. Together they try to find any cause for the phenomenon or any way out of it. They bring others into their quest, which resets every morning.

The diverse cast includes some strong performances, like Paula Shaw who plays Rachel's grandmother Rosie with a strong presence.

The plot is part sci-fi, part mystery, part romance, and part comedy. And each part gets its due. The leads are strong. The story starts slowly, but that is necessary to set up the details of Rachel's day; soon enough the narrative gets going and the pace is enjoyable.

This movie was sharp, well-written and fun, with lots of really smart twists, turns and comments by the characters. I am going to have to watch again just to catch all the great little references sprinkled throughout. The script-writing at a much higher level than the usual Hallmark fare and the filming also seemed to be much higher quality. The cast was well-chosen. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters and the side characters were great, especially the two older ladies and the sci fi friends. Honestly, I am a huge Hallmark watcher and this is one of best movies they've made, definitely in the top 10. More like this, Hallmark -- please!!!

Although Hannukah isn't as big a Jewish holiday as Christmas is for Christians, 'Round and Round' is set around Christmas, so its easy to mistake Hannukah for Christmas if you're unfamiliar with Jewish holidays (as I am; but I did some research).

Rachel (Vic Michaelis) is Jewish and her family gets together to celebrate Hannukah. On her way from the bakery after buying traditional treats, she bumps into Zach (Bryan Greenberg) - literally! - which sees the treats flying all over the place.

When Rachel's boyfriend can't make it to the celebration "because he is sick", Rachel's grandmother invites Zach, whom she knows from art class. Enter handsome Zach. Off course, Zach and Rachel don't see eye to eye at first because of their accidental first encounter! But, this is a romance movie, so we know from the beginning they're bound to fall in love.

But then Rachel starts reliving the same day over and over, and needs Zach to help her make it to the next day. Yup, if you've seen 'Groundhog Day' the premise will be all too familiar. In fact, this film so blatantly copies 'Groundhog Day', it even mentions it in the movie.

As Rachel keeps repeating the same day she learns more about her family, and herself. It's not quite as effective as 'Groundhog Day' but it nevertheless is still fun. Because Hallmark movies are so similar I have trouble remembering them. They're all pretty much the same feel-good happy-ending movies, just with different characters and settings. The only reason 'Round and Round' might be memorable, is because of the similarity to 'Groundhog Dag'.

I watch a lot of Hallmark movies and this one blew me away!! Top notch comedy, amazing chemistry, and lots of twists I didn't see coming. An amazing holiday romcom! I love Vic as a comedian, and that really showed through in this performance.

Hallmark really took the time to develop the side characters in this as well. Seth was a hoot, as was the cousin from England/Jersey. This movie really got the point across that i DO NOT want to get stuck in a time loop (unless it's with a boy as cute as this leading man of course!)

Truly one of hallmark's best. From jokes about Dr. Dre(idel) to heartwarming family talks about following your true passion, this movie had it all. I couldn't stop laughing!!

It's the holiday season and things are starting badly for Rachel (Vic Michaelis). Her boyfriend Adam cancels on her family gathering with an airport cold. Zach (Bryan Greenberg) bumps into her at the train station and she loses all her sufganiyot. Unbeknownst to her, her grandmother had invited acquaintance Zach to the gathering for her. Her parents are selling their house. When she starts to spin the dreidel, the drapes catches on fire. She wakes up next morning to find the day is starting again. Hanukkah is Groundhogging.

Grandma is right. The meet-cute is good. It's interesting that Hallmark is dipping into Hanukkah. With a gazillion Christmas movies, they can afford to do one or two non-Christmas celebrations. I probably have seen Vic Michaelis in some TV episodes, but I don't remember her. Bryan Greenberg exudes nice guy energy. They make for a nice coupling. They're nice without the movie star heat. They are low-key funny when they do the fast cross-talking banter. It works for Hallmark. This is better than most Hallmark Christmas movies.

What a disaster of a script, it gave me a headache just watching all the back and forth. And the cast was so good, they deserved a much better script. Like a lot of Hallmark films it had exteriors of New York City, but was filmed in British Columbia, which worked

Last year Hallmark released "Hanukkah on Rye" with Jeremy Jordan and Yael Grobglas which was terrific. It was funny with Jewish mothers and grandmothers, a terrific cast and mouthwatering food. Paula Shaw who is always great was in "Hanukkah on Rye" and in "Round and Round". And this year they released this disaster, which really just needed a good script.

Hallmark is putting out some better quality movies lately and this is one of them.

Rachel is in for a fun exasperating adventure trying to figure out what will break the loop she finds herself in without repeating the stress of the 7th night of Hanukkah, and in the process she also find her "one true love". What starts out as an accidental meetup set in motion by a collision that later turns out to be an "oh, no not you" re-meet spins the tale of what happens when you keep waking up to the 7th day... it's a fresh take on "Groundhogs Day" and is well done. During her journey to learn how to break the loop, she of course has a personal breakthrough of self-discovery as well as the journey helping her to meet a number of people who will help her "break" the loop. And another fun change is that later she will learn that it's not so unique to her.

The acting was well-done, and the story while not unique, had a fresh take and a fun ending.

I was so looking forward to this movie since I'm a huge fan of Groundhog's Day and Hallmark's Hannukah movies are always winners.

However, I have two grievances: the female lead and the middle/rising action of this movie.

The lead actress' is so blah. It's not her acting, she's just so plain Jane that I kept wondering if they failed to hire someone for hair and makeup.

Like her hair, the middle of this movie was a snooze. The first twenty and last twenty made up for it, so I gave it seven stars.

Groundhog's Day this movie isn't. Heck, this isn't even, The Best Night of My Life, a YA book.

Both of these beat this one because the leads learn a lesson or change their ways. Someone even dies or gets badly injured. Not here. There are no real stakes or the 'so what' in 'Round and 'Round and that's what it needed. I became so bored, I actually started rooting for the hero's best friend with the shag carpeted van to get the girl. Instead, we watch the heroine get out of bed seven times only for her to find (I won't spoil it).

I loved this movie. Definitely one of the best Hallmark has made. It reminds of the old fast paced comedies from the 1930s. Quick funny dialogue and great chemistry. The premise has been done before but they gave it a nice spin. Not overly "holiday" or sappy sweet. The grandmother was especially enjoyable. Appreciated that it did not rely heavily on stereotypes. The lead characters were fun and quirky which I appreciated. Not the typical supermodel and GQ stars of other hallmark movies. Will be adding this to my favorite movie list. If you like a fun movie you will like this one. Watch it when you get the chance.

I only watch Hallmark during the holiday season, and for that short period I tend to give up all expectations of actual good writing and directing (although to be fair the acting is often quite good in spite of those obstacles).

This movie, though, took me completely by surprise. (As an aside, Hallmark needs to rethink their promos and teasers. I nearly didn't watch this movie because the promos turned me off so much.) But this is not just a good "for Hallmark" movie. This turned out to be an actual good movie, better than many stupid rom coms that make it to the big screens.

The characters were engaging and endearing, and well played by the cast. Rick Hoffman in particular was kind of adorable and comforting as the dad, which was strange for me because I usually associate him with the absolute jerks he plays in so many movies. The boyfriend was a bit two dimensional (the comic shop guy would agree), but that was actually rather satisfying because it made him an easily dislikable character. The two main characters were both likable and - more importantly - not stupid. The actors had good chemistry and seemed at ease in their characters.

The writing and directing were some of the best I've seen from Hallmark, continuing a trend this year. (Three Wise Men and Baby immediately comes to mind.) I found myself genuinely engaged by the story and the relationships between all of them, and I was absolutely invested in the outcome even though I knew it would have a Hallmark happy ending. I also found myself pleasantly surprised by the little family twist at the end.

Satisfying and fun. Absolutely worth watching! I will watch at least once more this season and it has absolutely made my regular holiday viewing list.

8.4 stars.

Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators...

This is a wonderful movie about a woman in a time loop who must learn a life lesson before she can escape. We've all seen a movie or two like this, based on the original 'Groundhog Day' from the early 90's, and I feel 'Round and Round' follows that blueprint more closely than most others, but with a twist. And of course there has to be a twist, we can't have too many similarities. This one is different in that there is more control (you'll see) and it's not about Groundhog Day, but about Hanukkah and Jewish families and nerds and science fiction and oh so fun. This is a most wonderful rendition that Hallmark has concocted, I am blown away. It needs no explanation, it's a "reliving the same day over" theme, what else do you need to have an entertaining evening? But how it's presented is masterful. Nothing will compare with the original Bill Murray film, which I saw in the theater, and that says more about my age than I'd like, but I laughed more with it than any movie before, or since. 'Round and Round' is not as hilarious, but it's so clever.

Every season Hallmark writers find a way to avoid the standard holiday story popular with most of the movies shown this time of the year. This was an outstanding story with an exceptional cast. The lead actors were very good and had great chemistry. I also enjoyed seeing Rick Hoffman as the doting father, a part very distant from Louis Litt on Suits (in which he was great!). The grandmother was the rope that tied the story together. It kept us guessing as to how it would end and we were not dissapointed. Vic Michaelis was wonderful and it was nice to see a lead actress look "normal" instead of just out of Vogue Magazine! Our only issue was some of her lines were delivered so rapidly they were hard to undertand...but, I don't want to criticize her performance. This was a very enjoyable movie. Thanks Hallmark.

I loved this movie more than any I have seen in a long time. Had never heard of either of the leads before. Vic Michaelis is absolute perfection in every personality trait she showed. She delivered the perfect funny looks and remarks, the perfect "ticked-off" traits, and the perfect "girl falling in love" looks and dialogue. Bryan Greenberg was the same in all his roles in the movie. Dad was a joy to watch and I love Rosie in all her movies as well. A great script with a developing love story that unfolds at the right pace. Just loved this movie. If there was ever a movie that need a sequel, this one gets my vote. What a joy!

Although the basic Hallmark story lines are there , this was still a bit different. Each jump changed the story just enough , kept it really interesting and moving forward.

Leads were excellent, hadn't seen them before that I could remember, but hope to again. The secondary characters were great also. Especially liked the comic store owner , grandma and cousin. But possibly the biggest surprise was seeing Rick Hoffman again. Hadn't seen him since Suits , and in he was great as ever. And the ending was a complete surprise. Start to finish this was one of Hallmarks best in my opinion. Hope to see all the actors in future projects.

This movie was well-written, well-cast, and well-acted. The time loop results were substantially different. The humor was well-placed, including the "nerd" humor.

What makes the movie all the more fun is that it doesn't rely on a love triangle for its payoff. Plus, the viewer doesn't need to know anything about Hannukah to enjoy it.

The only downside is that the movie has commercials and runs two hours. This could easily have been a feature film with a runtime of 110-120 minutes.

The explanation of the time loops and who it came from was unexpected, which I found refreshing.

I want to see more from this writer, and I'd like to see Vic Michaelis (the story's protagonist) in more movies.