If this had been your typical, Hallmark Christmas movie, we'd have had the Christmas template shoved down our throats for the 50th time. And if this film had been made by Hallmark, that's exactly what we would have gotten!
Fortunately, someone was smart enough to not go down that road and actually provide us with a unique story, as well as relevant and touching one at that.
Separated from her mother during an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), Alexandra "Alex" Ramirez ends up on the streets in a small, southern Texas town, while her mother is arrested and deported. She is soon discovered by Chloe who takes her to Sloane Henley who works for Child and Family Services.
Alex is a young girl without a family. Chloe is young woman without one. Both are suffering from loss, and Sloane has to talk Chloe into taking Alex into her home for two weeks until Sloane can find a more permanent solution. Of course, Chloe is reluctant, but she finally agrees.
What happens next is a process of healing as Alex and Chloe each slowly begin to fill the void/the emptiness left by the loss of their loved ones. At first, Chloe is cold and detached, but she slowly begins to break down the walls as she deals with the loss of her husband and young son. It may be easier to just "shut down" but ultimately, this is a facade. The pain is never let go. It's simply allowed to fester.
Carlos is a young man who happens across Alex one day, and through her, he gets to know Chloe. Soon, and a bit predictably, the three begin spending a lot of time together.
This film addresses a truly tragic, and even criminal issue, in which families are literally broken apart. It's heart-wrenching to see something in a movie that is literally occuring as I write this. Imagine if this happened to you?
The only downside to the film is that the romance between Carlos and Chloe feels rushed and a bit forced. I think Chloe would have needed a lot more time to break those walls down even further before something like that would have happened. Especially given how much of a transition it was for her just to have Alex around. Extending the story from 92 minutes and adding another 20-30 minutes would have rounded things out nicely and made this element feel far more realistic than what we ended up getting.
While the cast is all rock solid, I can't say enough about young Eva Ariel Bender. This young actress brings tremendous depth and feeling to her role of Alex. When she laughs, we giggle along with her. When she cries, you can't help but let some tears fall.
I was also happy to see Netflix give us some diversity in their story. I loved the Hispanic culture being brought to the forefront of this film. We need more of this in films today. Hallmark seems reluctant to do this, for some reason, which is why I no longer watch or support their programs. I even wrote to them but received no response.
This is a touching, non-typical Christmas movie that will likely stay with you for a while, and it might also help to remind you of just blessed you are and importance of family.
Fortunately, someone was smart enough to not go down that road and actually provide us with a unique story, as well as relevant and touching one at that.
Separated from her mother during an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), Alexandra "Alex" Ramirez ends up on the streets in a small, southern Texas town, while her mother is arrested and deported. She is soon discovered by Chloe who takes her to Sloane Henley who works for Child and Family Services.
Alex is a young girl without a family. Chloe is young woman without one. Both are suffering from loss, and Sloane has to talk Chloe into taking Alex into her home for two weeks until Sloane can find a more permanent solution. Of course, Chloe is reluctant, but she finally agrees.
What happens next is a process of healing as Alex and Chloe each slowly begin to fill the void/the emptiness left by the loss of their loved ones. At first, Chloe is cold and detached, but she slowly begins to break down the walls as she deals with the loss of her husband and young son. It may be easier to just "shut down" but ultimately, this is a facade. The pain is never let go. It's simply allowed to fester.
Carlos is a young man who happens across Alex one day, and through her, he gets to know Chloe. Soon, and a bit predictably, the three begin spending a lot of time together.
This film addresses a truly tragic, and even criminal issue, in which families are literally broken apart. It's heart-wrenching to see something in a movie that is literally occuring as I write this. Imagine if this happened to you?
The only downside to the film is that the romance between Carlos and Chloe feels rushed and a bit forced. I think Chloe would have needed a lot more time to break those walls down even further before something like that would have happened. Especially given how much of a transition it was for her just to have Alex around. Extending the story from 92 minutes and adding another 20-30 minutes would have rounded things out nicely and made this element feel far more realistic than what we ended up getting.
While the cast is all rock solid, I can't say enough about young Eva Ariel Bender. This young actress brings tremendous depth and feeling to her role of Alex. When she laughs, we giggle along with her. When she cries, you can't help but let some tears fall.
I was also happy to see Netflix give us some diversity in their story. I loved the Hispanic culture being brought to the forefront of this film. We need more of this in films today. Hallmark seems reluctant to do this, for some reason, which is why I no longer watch or support their programs. I even wrote to them but received no response.
This is a touching, non-typical Christmas movie that will likely stay with you for a while, and it might also help to remind you of just blessed you are and importance of family.