Much of the dialogue of "A Christmas Mystery" seemed telegraphed and stilted. While the filmmakers tried to develop a compelling narrative about the search for a stranger in the life of the deceased mom of the protagonist, Rebecca Clark, the film juggled a romantic connection between the private investigator and Rebecca to the degree that the love story took over the film.
When Rebecca was a child, her dad went missing under suspicious circumstances. It is only in the homestretch of the movie that the story of the father re-emerges. The action was far too pat in tying the Charles Peterson story researched by Rebecca to the personal drama of her family. The convoluted "mystery" of the film's title never developed enough tension, and it seemed like filler, sitting in the backseat as the romance unfolded.
The film tended to turn into comedy in a series of nearly farcical occurrences at a homey bed-and-breakfast. It made no sense to force Andrew to sleep in the cold, dank car, opposed to sleeping in the room with Rebecca. The forced entry into the room by the villain also seemed far-fetched. The most outlandish moment was when Andrew purchased an expensive jewel as a gift for Rebecca at a time when he was sleeping in the car!
While there was good chemistry between the private eye, Andrew Steele, and Rebecca, it was too far-fetched to believe that he was concurrently working for Rebecca and spying on her for another client. That's not a way to build trust in either a business or personal romantic relationship!
When Rebecca was a child, her dad went missing under suspicious circumstances. It is only in the homestretch of the movie that the story of the father re-emerges. The action was far too pat in tying the Charles Peterson story researched by Rebecca to the personal drama of her family. The convoluted "mystery" of the film's title never developed enough tension, and it seemed like filler, sitting in the backseat as the romance unfolded.
The film tended to turn into comedy in a series of nearly farcical occurrences at a homey bed-and-breakfast. It made no sense to force Andrew to sleep in the cold, dank car, opposed to sleeping in the room with Rebecca. The forced entry into the room by the villain also seemed far-fetched. The most outlandish moment was when Andrew purchased an expensive jewel as a gift for Rebecca at a time when he was sleeping in the car!
While there was good chemistry between the private eye, Andrew Steele, and Rebecca, it was too far-fetched to believe that he was concurrently working for Rebecca and spying on her for another client. That's not a way to build trust in either a business or personal romantic relationship!