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Double Holiday (2019)
Very Nice Film
Rebecca (Carly Pope) and Chris (Kristoffer Polaha), while vying for the same promotion, are forced to work together to organise the company's Christmas party, where they will be courting a potentially large client. Through this they learn more about each other and their very different celebrations - she learns more about Christmas and he learns all about Hanukkah. Very nice film whisked along by a slightly different story, a nice variety of locations, and their great chemistry.
Christmas à la Mode (2019)
Pleasant Enough
The White's family farm is in financial trouble and Emily (Katie Leclerc) tries to salvage it before her sister Dorothy (Jennifer Ellis) and business partner Charlie (Ryan Cooper) sell it off. Charlie warms to Katie and begins to offer her help. It's pleasant enough, but doesn't have anything special going for it, with an obviously low budget, lacklustre writing, and less than spectacular performances.
Christmas Cookies (2016)
Great Interplay
The local cookie company is about to be sold to a large conglomerate who send Hannah (Jill Wagner) to seal the deal. The magic of the town, along with some sparky dealings with current owner Jake (Wes Brown), make it increasingly difficult for Hannah to follow through with the assignment. Some really great interplay and performances which hit the spot, make for a movie worth returning to each holiday season.
The Family Man (2000)
A Strange Film
Jack (Nicholas Cage) is a high-flying city broker who is given a glimpse into an alternate life he could have lived if he'd made a different choice. This now sees college girlfriend Kate (Tea Leoni) playing a major part in this other life. It's a strange film, which is basically an inverted version of It's a Wonderful Life. It feels very cold at the start and most of the humour throughout feels forced and falls flat. Also, the character of Cash (Don Cheadle) is very one-dimensional compared to It's a Wonderful Life's Clarence (Henry Travers). However, there are some touching moments and it poses some interesting questions.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019)
Thrust Together
Property developer Belinda (Kim Shaw) heads back to her home town to meet her sister's fiancé and to finalise a deal to redevelop a local landmark. Whilst staying with her dad Carl (Tom Arnold) she reluctantly reconnects with ex-boyfriend Dustin (Kevin McGarry). They are not-accidently thrust together to team-up for the town's traditional Christmas Scavenger Hunt. Despite the film's very simple production and budget, the cast give their all, and there's some nice natural chemistry between the leads.
Holiday for Heroes (2019)
Salute to the Armed Forces
Audrey (Melissa Claire Egan), a partner in running a cafe, has been exchanging letters for a year with soldier Matt (Marc Blucas). We see them finally meet and how this has an impact on both their lives and the lives of those around them. Both a romantic drama and a salute to the armed forces, you see the story play out from the perspectives of both protagonists, which is nice. It's a good production which is very engaging with great performances, especially from the two leads.
A Bramble House Christmas (2017)
Highly Recommended
A break from the usual Christmas story. This sees Finn Conrad (David Hadyn-Jones) heading off to investigate why his late father left his inheritance to Willa Fairchild (Autumn Reeser), a home nurse and mother who had been caring for him. A variety of different characters, all bring different flavours to the mix and there are some tough moments mixed in with the anticipated Christmas uplift. Highly recommended.
Write Before Christmas (2019)
Festive Cheer
After being dumped just days before Christmas, Jessica (Torrey DeVitto) is inspired to write and send Christmas cards to five people who've made an impact in her life. We then see how this, in turn, sparks them into certain actions. One of the cards is intercepted by an old school acquaintance (Chad Michael Murray), who invites her to join him for his kind of Christmas. A well made production with some good performances, which you may want to return to for festive cheer.
Mistletoe Over Manhattan (2011)
'Jekyll and Hyde' Film
A real 'Jekyll and Hyde' film, where there are some very emotional issues (family break up) mixed with pantomime-style humour. The latter mostly misses the mark, although the former shines, especially the great performance from Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica). If you can overlook the silly moments, you'll get to appreciate the moments of familial tension and tenderness.
Two Turtle Doves (2019)
No Grandstanding Here
A neuroscientist on the brink of being awarded a fellowship grant (Nikki Deloach) returns to her home town to deal with the affairs of her late grandmother who raised her, and meets the widowed attorney who is handling the estate (Michael Rady). The family home has been bequeathed to her on the proviso she completes twelve 'traditions'. Together, with his daughter, they tackle the challenges, along with helping deal with each others' loss. No grandstanding here, just genuine performances dealing with emotions around Christmas. Recommended for at least one watch.
The Christmas Club (2019)
Great Chemistry
A woman's Christmas club money is swept away by a sudden gust of wind, and strangers Olivia (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Edward (Cameron Mathison) kindly help in her time of need. She is a ballet teacher and widowed mom, and he is a business consultant who travels a lot, but the 'magic' of Christmas then ensures they continue to meet. Great chemistry amid the usual story curveballs ensures it enjoyable enough to perhaps revisit every other year.
Return to Christmas Creek (2018)
Very Enjoyable Family Drama
After a hot-shot app developer's new idea for a Christmas app is shot down in the boardroom, she seeks inspiration at the inn run by her uncle, who she hasn't seen since her family left under a cloud years before. Some really good performances keep the interest throughout. The delightful Tori Anderson as Amelia oozes charm, portraying fragility when required, and Stephen Weber as Harry (the uncle) is excellently guarded when introduced and has a good character arc. Very enjoyable family drama set around the Christmas season.
Magical Christmas Ornaments (2017)
Engaging Story
Book editor Marie (Jessica Lowndes) has no Christmas spirit after a festive break-up and neighbour Nate (Brendan Penny), a paediatric nurse, endeavours to reignite it. Marie is also attempting to reboot the children's book sector at her publishers with push-back from her boss. So, there's a few things going on here and it takes a little time to find its feet, but we eventually get an engaging story with some good performances.
A Merry Christmas Match (2019)
Poorly Thought-out Script
While visiting a friend in town, wealthy bachelor Ryder (Kyle Dean Massey) meets Corey (Ashley Newbrough) who works in her family's antique store, and is responsible for the town's Christmas pageant. Sparks allegedly fly as she battles with her feelings against the belief that she shouldn't abandon the town or her late father's store. It also features two opportunities for singer/actress Lyndsey Gort to showcase her musical talents, but I found these to be a bit shoehorned in. It was light on chemistry, had a poorly thought-out script, and some second-rate direction, which all made for a disappointing effort.
Marrying Father Christmas (2018)
Everyone is Overly Nice
Third in a trilogy (!) of romantic dramas following 'Finding Father Christmas' and 'Engaging Father Christmas' - see what they did there? As a couple (Erin Krakow, Niall Matter) prepare for their wedding, a stranger arrives in town claiming to be a relative. The performances are OK (although the male lead looks a bit bored), it's nicely filmed, but it's very tame, nothing exciting happens, and everyone is overly nice. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an afternoon doze.
Christmas at the Plaza (2019)
Very Well Cast Romantic Drama
This was a nice romantic drama, excellently made, very well cast with engaging leads, especially Elizabeth Henstridge. It centres on an historian hired to create a Christmas exhibit at a large hotel. There's even a lovely cameo by Bruce Davison.
Grounded for Christmas (2019)
Good Performances and Nice Chemistry
This romantic comedy sees pilot Brady (Corey Sevier) and co-pilot Nina (Julianna Guill), strangers before they are assigned to the same flight, having to share a Christmas holiday together while their flight is grounded due to bad weather. Good performances and nice chemistry between the leads makes for an enjoyable film despite the budgetary shortcomings of the production.
A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas (2019)
Romantic Drama
This romantic drama has Rachel Leigh Cook returning to her former family home to stage her sister's wedding, and finds a challenge in dealing with the current owner who is in the process of selling the place. Warm-hearted Christmas film, with a side-order of dealing with loss and moving on, and the added bonus of a wedding!
A Nutcracker Christmas (2016)
Drama with an Element of Romance
This fairly straight drama, with an element of romance, sees Amy Acker's career as a ballet dancer cut short through a family tragedy, only for her niece's similar gifts to bring her unexpectedly back into the world of ballet and to an old acquaintance. It's clear who are the actors hired to dance and the dancers hired to act, but it just about holds up thanks to an impassioned turn from Acker, if you can get past the niece's cute/grating (delete as applicable) voice.
Trading Christmas (2010)
Very Enjoyable
This romantic comedy drama sees a widow and a frustrated writer exchange homes for the holidays. They both deal with new possibilities and learn to embrace change while in new environments with each other's friends. Some great, honest-feeling performances from Faith Ford, Gil Bellows, and Gabrielle Miller (Tom Kavanagh's character can be a little cartoony at times), mixed with some light moments made for a very enjoyable movie.
12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
Heart-Warming and Funny
Essentially 'It's a Wonderful Groundhog Day' stars Amy Smart as a fairly self-centred person who ends up reliving the same day over again. A simple production, with excellent support from Mark-Paul Gosselaar, sees Smart giving a good central performance with a satisfying character arc. The supporting cast are great too. Heart-warming and funny in just the right places.
Love Always, Santa (2016)
Nice Romantic Drama
A prolific writer, now responsible for answering 'Dear Santa' letters, begins correspondence with a widow who replied to the letter sent to her daughter. A nice romantic drama, with some endearing characters.