I and my daughter just watched this movie. So I am reflecting our opinions. They don't really jive very well with some of the very negative reviews I am reading here, and I am wondering if we watched the same movie.
We have been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies for a few years now, along with offerings we are seeing from some of the other stations. I have even posted a couple of other reviews last year. In the grand scheme of specialty channel Christmas movies, we felt this was one of the better offerings.
We found the leads charming and believable. Rachel in particular we thought was very good - she is able to convey a lot with her eyes, facial expression and slight body movement - she can actually act. She is a very attractive woman (that's me talking on that observation! LOL). The male star is also handsome, and we thought he did a good job. The supporting cast was fine.
These movies are made in a very short period of time and a very tight budget, sometimes filming is only 7-10 days! I am aware of this when I watch these movies, and sometimes its evident when you see a scene end a bit abruptly. And you can't blame an actor for the sometimes banal dialog - they have to work with what they get, and sometimes its only one take and then they have to move onto the next scene.
I thought the conclusion was a bit rushed and underwhelming, if only as I would like to have savored how it played out in a bit more depth. But all-in-all we enjoyed the movie. We sat through a real stinker the other day (Sweet Home Carolina with Heather McComb) and Marry Me at Christmas was superior in every respect.
You just have to know that all the Hallmark movies follow a very similar script - even when the concept is potentially somewhat original they always play it out via a formula. You will never find romance/Christmas movies with less sexual tension in them then a Hallmark movie, many of which only have one kiss at the end.
Another review noted the move Christmas Cookies with Jill Wagner. Both movies were the same - a beautiful woman trying not to find love finishes the movie with one kiss with the handsome interloper, said kiss intending to convey eternal love and happiness to the audience and the rest is up to us to fill in the blanks.
If you don't like the formula, don't watch the movies....
We have been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies for a few years now, along with offerings we are seeing from some of the other stations. I have even posted a couple of other reviews last year. In the grand scheme of specialty channel Christmas movies, we felt this was one of the better offerings.
We found the leads charming and believable. Rachel in particular we thought was very good - she is able to convey a lot with her eyes, facial expression and slight body movement - she can actually act. She is a very attractive woman (that's me talking on that observation! LOL). The male star is also handsome, and we thought he did a good job. The supporting cast was fine.
These movies are made in a very short period of time and a very tight budget, sometimes filming is only 7-10 days! I am aware of this when I watch these movies, and sometimes its evident when you see a scene end a bit abruptly. And you can't blame an actor for the sometimes banal dialog - they have to work with what they get, and sometimes its only one take and then they have to move onto the next scene.
I thought the conclusion was a bit rushed and underwhelming, if only as I would like to have savored how it played out in a bit more depth. But all-in-all we enjoyed the movie. We sat through a real stinker the other day (Sweet Home Carolina with Heather McComb) and Marry Me at Christmas was superior in every respect.
You just have to know that all the Hallmark movies follow a very similar script - even when the concept is potentially somewhat original they always play it out via a formula. You will never find romance/Christmas movies with less sexual tension in them then a Hallmark movie, many of which only have one kiss at the end.
Another review noted the move Christmas Cookies with Jill Wagner. Both movies were the same - a beautiful woman trying not to find love finishes the movie with one kiss with the handsome interloper, said kiss intending to convey eternal love and happiness to the audience and the rest is up to us to fill in the blanks.
If you don't like the formula, don't watch the movies....