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angelicsk2001
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Rediscovering Christmas (2019)
Just too weird of a storyline and characters
Okay so Hallmark has made waaayy better movies than this one even with recurring premises.
I'm not a huge fan of Jessica Lowndes but I have enjoyed other movies she's done. As for BJ Britt, I'm not familiar with him, this is the first movie I've seen him in and I'm sure he's a terrific actor in whatever else he's done but in this movie there was no interest for me to want to like his character.
The leads had no chemistry whatsoever. There wasn't any romantic lead up to warrant the must have kiss at the end and every so called hint at a supposed brewing romance felt like it had to be mentioned because there was no body language to show it. I don't usually critique children because they are just purely innocent in their role although some really do have talent but oye they made this one to be very annoying. It was like when she had to deliver her line they just cued her right in and sent her back out.
The storyline was boring and the events were not interesting. When Adam was upset about Mia going back to Boston to salvage her job, that ticked me off. She said from the beginning that she had to be back to work by a certain day and in addition on the day she had to fix a big problem. So why give her flack for leaving the festival planning to go back and do her job. A whole town was there to help and Mia's sister would have had some experience to be able to take over. Adam could have just been cool about it not be exaggeratedly upset. On the flip side, the Barrington window display was horrible. The memories was a nice touch but the back drop for it was totally offkey. If Mia only knew she was going to go back to do such none sense to the display, then it was better she stayed to coordinate the festival instead.
Overall, this movie was just too weird for me. I watched it because I can't put down a Hallmark movie just like that and I was really hoping that there was a big save somewhere but I was just cringing and rolling my eyes the whole way through.
This is not going on my re-watch list.
Holiday Date (2019)
Same but different for Hallmark
Okay so the premise of the movie is the same as some others....girl breaks up with bf just before they were to meet her family, girl can't go home without a bf, a guy comes in who can solve her dilemma and get something for himself in return as well, they spend time together trying to fix a problem in the town, they fall in love with one another, the family finds out the truth and forgives them and it ends with the leads getting what they wanted but didn't really know it.
What I loved about this movie was that it wasn't just a straight cut average Hallmark romance. There was humor as well which brought a lightness and likeability to the story. I didn't even mind the real premise of the story because there were comical moments included...I loved it! It took away the dullness and drab of the nature of the premise.
My favorite funny moments:
* When Joel (the fake Ethan) barged into a Christmas Tree lot (which was filled with Christmas Trees) and asked the guy if he sells Christmas Trees as if they were invisible....it was absolutely and endearingly funny.
* The displeased groan that Brooke's father made when he's was not happy with something or someone. Oh my gosh that was amusing.
* Brooke's brother-in-law at first delighted that the attention was off him as the new guy in the family but then along the way wanted back the attention.
The cast was spectacular and it was lovely to watch Brittany Bristow as a lead after all those supporting roles she did before. She did a great job and I hope she gets the opportunity to do more lead roles.
This one will definitely be another one added to my re-watch list.
Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday (2019)
Charming and Likeable
I thought this movie was charming. The acting was smooth from Carlo Marks. He brought out the wittiness and cheekiness of his character very nicely. I really enjoyed him in this one. Jen Lilley didn't do such a bad job with her character as well.
There was good chemistry between the leads. Yes, somewhat predictable like the presumption that he was going to leave to take the job and snow starting to fall right when they kiss but throughout the movie the predictability wasn't too much and annoying.
I liked that the leads weren't exes who were upset with one another for whatever reason but rather were friends in school who met back up years later. The end was also nice with the slight twist in whom the Guardian Angel was really helping and the bonus that came out of it.
I don't mind having this on the watch again list.
Chateau Christmas (2020)
Hallmark with a difference
I was all too excited to see this movie mostly because of Luke Macfarlane whom I absolutely enjoy watching even outside of Hallmark movies. If this review was just based on him being in the movie then the rating would have been a definite 20/10 :-)
Merritt Patterson I've seen in other Hallmark movies and it's really nice to see her grow and mature into each of the roles that she's played thus far. She was a delight in this movie, I will continue to watch out for any of her upcoming roles.
The storyline was more or less the same as past Hallmark movies. There was the ex bf/gf bumping into each other after breaking up years ago so that one party can go and live their dream while the other stays in the hometown. There is regret for the decision and love still lingers between the two ex-lovebirds. There were also various coincidences that seemed too coincidental.
What I did enjoy was the peel away from the normal jobs that are used....writer, business owner, high profile corporate, journalist, artist, photographer, etc, etc, etc. I also liked that it didn't end in the normal fashion either....one person giving up their life to be with the other but instead both have an understanding and leaving it to be seen where the relationship can go given the already established careers. All this made the movie feel like fresh air whooping back in after the stale air settled for a long time.
Though there could have been a little more romance between the two characters, this movie was a charming one to watch. I'll definitely give this one a watch again.
Write Before Christmas (2019)
Another one added to my MUST watch list
Similar storyline to Christmas Under the Stars (2019) where there are individual stories and one thing connects them together. I can appreciate Hallmark bringing out movies like this and I hope they can continue away from the other Hallmark cliché storyline.
Just one event in this movie had me rolling my eyes like of course she's going to do that where Jessica saw Luke in the rink for one second with someone else and immediately presumed they were together. But I guess if they didn't put that in then the rest of the movie couldn't follow. Other than that, the individual stories were well scripted, developed and joined together. There were touching moments, funny moments, awwww moments. The acting was fantastic by everyone and I very much enjoyed Chad Michael Murray's performance. I'm a huge dog lover so I was making googly eyes at Blitzen every time I saw him. Not to mention the inclusion of elements of It's a Wonderful Life was just too romantic....loved it!
This movie is absolutely brilliant and will definitely be watched as a Christmas tradition by me.
Christmas Under the Stars (2019)
Added to my MUST watch List
I am an absolute Hallmark movie fan despite the more or less same story lines. This movie's story line was very different and original. Each character had a unique narrative. There was a special connection between them that also brought them together in an individually difficult time of their lives.
The movie was nicely casted and the performances were top notch. The dialogue was well written and not overkill on the cliches. There were moments that tugged at my emotions and brought tears to my eyes because I could feel a sort of genuinity with the characters. I love that I could connect with the them in that way.
This movie was so charming and heartwarming and totally fabulous. It's a definite recommend to watch as a Christmas tradition.
A Valentine's Match (2020)
Definite good watch
I love Hallmark movies but it has been a while since I've really laughed and enjoyed one like this. Yes, it has the same old same old storyline however the swing in the characters' life choices, where they ended up and how they came back to one another were somewhat creative.
There were some really nice comical scenes like when Natalie tried to exit the Hardware store at the beginning. The dancing scene in the barn was so sweet and romantic....I loved it! And when Zack tried to apologise a of couple times but got interrupted was a great spin....loved that too!
I was really engaged with this movie. I am a fan of Bethany Joy's and Luke's performances so watching this match up was exciting. There was nice chemistry between them. I wouldn't mind if they did another movie together.
This is definitely tagged as one of my favourite Hallmark movies that will be watched over and over.
Anne: Signs Are Small Measurable Things, But Interpretations Are Illimitable (2018)
Trinidadians don't talk so
In this episode, when Bash and Gilbert dock in Trinidad, as a born and raised Trinidadian I could appreciate the accuracy of the dishes, what ingredients they consist of and how the dishes are made like crab and callalloo. I could even appreciate the descriptive language that are used like "skylarkin", "magga", "bush medicine", "dregs", "dou dou", and many more. However, what really troubled me about this episode and quite possibly maybe the episodes to follow is.....Bash's 'Trini accent'.
Given that a Trinidadian's accent is so distinctive and it is usually commented on just as much as the food and lifestyle as well as it can be heard via so many mediums, I held a high expectation for this character to feel like I was really watching a Trinidadian bredren.
While clear research was done to represent the food and life in Trinidad as accurately as possible in this episode, the actor playing Bash was no way near accurately portraying a Trini accent at all. In fact, he sounded more Jamaican than anything else. Maybe he was trying to get a handle on the 'sing songy' way that foreigners often describe Trinis' speech but to me, his portrayal was no where close. Really and truly it bothered me so much when
he spoke I felt like I was hearing intermittent screeches of chalk on a black board.
What upset me as well is that the writer iiiissss a Trinidadian (hence all the Trinidadian symbolisms throughout) thereby the person could have been consulted for pointers on how to speak Trini. Had the Trini accent been accurately done, tied together with the phrases and the almost perfect atmosphere, I could have enjoyed the character much more. Right now he feels kinda fakeish.