Contrivance and artifice tends to be the top priority of storytelling when it comes to Christmas movies, and holiday-themed romances in particular. And still 'A crafty Christmas romance' astonishes with how incredibly forthright it is. The hallmarks of the plot are immediately established, as are the chief characters, and the narrative advances ever so briskly. Mandy is 100% charming, as is Jonah, and stars Nicola Posener and Brad Johnson lean wholly into the cheese. So it is with the supporting characters, all brazenly eager to help. There's only minor flourishes of predictable drama around the edges to offer a small switch from the gimmick, and even these are washed over in no time at all.
Some dialogue is rather forced, and no few other bits are repeated for emphasis. From what we see of the town, it feels like a pop-up holiday village. The Christmas cheer that seeps into the obsessive search for the author of a letter, and neighborly good will, portends manufactured joy that far exceeds all suspension of disbelief. This is without question a feature for a very particular audience, only those who appreciate the utmost ham-handedness that the entire holiday season represents. For anyone else, it's a slight strain to sit through. But here we are.
I suppose if nothing else, one definite advantage of such romance flicks is that the men aren't just trying to get in the women's pants - they're genuinely being helpful for the sake of being helpful; it's a refreshing change of pace from more mainstream fare. And I have to give credit where it's due, for while the assembled actors completely immerse themselves in the fabricated gaiety - well, that says something about their willingness to inhabit characters, doesn't it? Though restricted by the nature of the picture, I think all those involved nonetheless demonstrate their skills in sufficient measure to make the portrayals believable (or at least as believable as they could be). It's pushing the absolute limits of the constructed credulity that cinema demands to engage with this movie, or those like it, yet for what it's worth, it's a touch of lighthearted feel-good sappiness that's passably entertaining.
It would be easy, and not incorrect, to nitpick everything wrong with the writing. But it's also okay to just sit back and enjoy the kitsch for the earnest pablum that it is, and despite it all, 'A crafty Christmas romance' is well made for what it is. Undeniably overdone, still this is fleetingly enjoyable for anyone open to the genre.
Recommended for Christmas fanatics, though admittedly, probably not for anyone else.
Some dialogue is rather forced, and no few other bits are repeated for emphasis. From what we see of the town, it feels like a pop-up holiday village. The Christmas cheer that seeps into the obsessive search for the author of a letter, and neighborly good will, portends manufactured joy that far exceeds all suspension of disbelief. This is without question a feature for a very particular audience, only those who appreciate the utmost ham-handedness that the entire holiday season represents. For anyone else, it's a slight strain to sit through. But here we are.
I suppose if nothing else, one definite advantage of such romance flicks is that the men aren't just trying to get in the women's pants - they're genuinely being helpful for the sake of being helpful; it's a refreshing change of pace from more mainstream fare. And I have to give credit where it's due, for while the assembled actors completely immerse themselves in the fabricated gaiety - well, that says something about their willingness to inhabit characters, doesn't it? Though restricted by the nature of the picture, I think all those involved nonetheless demonstrate their skills in sufficient measure to make the portrayals believable (or at least as believable as they could be). It's pushing the absolute limits of the constructed credulity that cinema demands to engage with this movie, or those like it, yet for what it's worth, it's a touch of lighthearted feel-good sappiness that's passably entertaining.
It would be easy, and not incorrect, to nitpick everything wrong with the writing. But it's also okay to just sit back and enjoy the kitsch for the earnest pablum that it is, and despite it all, 'A crafty Christmas romance' is well made for what it is. Undeniably overdone, still this is fleetingly enjoyable for anyone open to the genre.
Recommended for Christmas fanatics, though admittedly, probably not for anyone else.