In the new comedy Mafia Mamma, out this week, Toni Collette vamps it up and brings the laughs as an American woman who is forced to take over the family crime business in Italy after her estranged grandfather dies. She wastes no time confirming that filming on location in the Eternal City was as glorious as it looks on screen. “Just being in Rome was the be all and end all.

I've traveled to Italy many times, but being able to live in Rome and have a focus and a purpose and experience living in the city day to day—it was like a gift from the gods,” says the Aussie actress. “Honestly, it was so much fun! It wasn't just a highlight of my career; it was a serious highlight of my life.”