Once again it is the time of year to watch Christmas movies. I did better this year, having watched six
movies up to this point. I still have
hope of finding the time to watch at least one more before the season is
over. Here are mini reviews on the ones
I did watch, ranking them from lease favorite to favorite. (Caution:
Although I tried not to give too many details, there may be some
spoilers below.)
Christmas Belle (2013)
Synopsis: Belle works for her father’s appraisal
business. He dispatches her days before
Christmas to catalogue all the items in the house of a man who wants to sell
his grandparents’ estate. The whole
visit Belle has to battle the grumpy estate owner, her father’s daily requests,
and a persistent suitor she does not like.
Belle’s Christmas spirit soon warms the grumpy estate owner though, encouraging
him to host the town Christmas party.
Along the way, she also finds the courage to stand up to her father and
the unwanted beau.
Review: This has to be one of the worst movies I have
ever seen. I am fine with the
predictable story, and I even like the overlay of the Beauty & the Beast
story on top of the Christmas story. However,
it has horrible plot progression and terrible dialog. I just could not believe the actions and words
in the film would carry the two main characters from the beginning scenario to
the ending of true love. All of the
actors were very wooden and rehearsed sounding, creating absolutely no
realistic chemistry or relationship (romantic or familial) between any of
them. It felt like a rough high school
play rather than a professionally produced movie. Additionally, the film had atrocious piano
music loudly playing throughout the whole thing and strange camera shots of
random Christmas scenes. I can only
guess the creators thought they were being artistic, but it was
distracting. I would not recommend this
to anyone, and I wish I had followed my impulse to turn it off before the
end.
A Christmas Kiss (2011)
Synopsis: Wendy experiences a magical spontaneous kiss
with a stranger in an elevator a few days before Christmas. She is mortified to discover that he is Adam,
the boyfriend of her interior decorator boss Priscilla. Her already rocky relationship with her
demanding boss takes a turn for the worse when they are requested to decorate
Adam’s house for a fundraising benefit.
It soon becomes clear that Wendy and Adam have a similar sense of Christmas
vision, pushing Priscilla to the sidelines during the project's
progress. Priscilla, determined to not
only keep Adam but to finally get an engagement ring on her finger, schemes her
way back into the picture. Will Wendy be
able to recapture that magical moment in the elevator, or is it a dream never
meant to be real?
Review: Again this is a very predictable Christmas
romance movie with bad acting, wooden dialog, and forced scenes. It does have a few cute, mushy moments that I
enjoyed watching. I also rather like
Elisabeth Rohm’s performance as the evil boss.
I think there are better options out there, so I will not recommend this
one. However, it was not the worst movie
if you just want some mindless romance.
Love The Coopers (2015)
Synopsis: The Coopers are getting ready for their
annual Christmas meal. Grandpa is
lonely. The parents are hiding a secret. The aunt is burdened by lifelong jealousy. The son is shamed by his inability to get a
new job. The daughter is dreading the
judgement she knows is coming her way again this year. We start by meeting each family member prior
to the big meal as they make their preparations to face their relatives. Over the course of the movie, they all
converge at the parents’ house, acquiring some surprise guests along the way.
Review: I do not know if this movie was not very
good, or if it just was not what I was expecting. Either way, I was disappointed. I thought I was getting a comedy similar to
The Family Stone. Instead I watched a
rather sad drama. Even though there are
some humorous scenes, the general tone is one of nostalgia and loss. It does end with a note of hope, but it just
is not enough to overcome the rest of the movie. The acting is great, the plot moves forward
in believable ways, the dialog is natural, the characters have good chemistry. I just did not find myself being drawn in by any
of it as much as I would have hoped. It
is not that I think this movie was badly done, but it just was not anything
special.
The Spirit of
Christmas (2015)
Synopsis: Attorney Kate does not mind giving up
Christmas to go oversee the appraisal and sale of an old inn. When she gets there though, she discovers a
problem. None of the appraisers will
work because the inn is haunted. Not
believing in ghosts, Kate moves in determined to get her job done. She soon discovers the stories are true. The inn is inhabited by two regular ghosts
and one cursed ghost. The cursed ghost
is none other than former owner Daniel who returns every year for twelve days
at Christmas time, more real than a ghost but unable to leave the
premises. He is not thrilled about Kate’s
presence or her ultimate plan for his home.
The two tangle in the beginning, but soon find themselves allies as Kate
tries to help Daniel figure out why he is stuck in his cursed limbo. The two grow ever fonder of each other, all
the while fearing what the end of Christmas and the resolution of the mystery
might entail for their budding romance.
Review: This movie is fantastical nonsense, but it
openly admits it. The story itself is
absolutely ridiculous. There are more
plot holes and unresolved questions than you can count. The ending is satisfying from a romantic
standpoint, but it is unrealistic even from the movies already stretched
paranormal standards. However, none of
this matters, because it feels so good to watch it. The movie is a fairly predictable Christmas
romance, so no one will be surprised by most of the developments. The actors are good-looking and
reasonably talented. The dialog was
mostly natural, the characters actions mostly believable, and the story moved forward
reasonably well within the confines of the movie’s own reality. It is not the best made movie out there, but
I absolutely loved it. It was fun and
entertaining, and I would watch it again.
It Happened on 5th
Avenue (1947)
Synopsis: Homeless McKeever moves into the O’Connor
mansion in New York every Christmas when Michael O’Connor goes to his Virginia
house. This year McKeever becomes friendly with the recently evicted Jim and invites him to stay in the mansion with him. They are soon joined by Trudy, a girl they
think broke in to steal a coat, but who truly is O’Connor’s runaway
daughter. The house guests start multiplying
as they add in Jim’s army buddies with their families and Mr. & Mrs. O’Connor
themselves (also in disguise). The
secrets and misunderstandings are flying as everyone tries to keep their
personal stories straight. Meanwhile,
love is in the air as Trudy and Jim become quite fond of each other despite Mr.
O’Connor’s disapproval. The cops eventually
discover the group in the mansion, but in the spirit of Christmas let them stay
just until after the holiday.
Review: Old movies are either enchanting or
boring. Luckily this one is
enchanting. Although the movie shows its
age in the production and effects, I was not distracted by it at all. The movie is quite funny as the characters
try to interact while keeping all their various secrets from escaping. All the characters are likable, even grumpy
old Mr. O’Connor. Although the story is
not overtly Christmas themed, it does take place over the season and provides
plenty of opportunity for the Christmas spirit to shine in the characters. The outcome is of course predictable, but it
is still wonderful when we get to it. The
simplicity of the plot, the characters, and the outcome are what make this
movie so enjoyable. I was smiling the
whole way through.
The Family Stone (2005)
Synopsis: The Stone family converges on their childhood
home for Christmas every year. This year
Everett is bringing home his girlfriend Meredith, who he intends to ask to
marry him over the holiday. Things go
wrong as Meredith’s more reserved nature clashes badly with the Stone family’s
easygoing chaos. Things get worse when
Meredith calls in her sister Julie for reinforcement, only to find that the
family likes Julie so much better.
Misunderstandings, confrontations, and hurt feelings ensue over the holiday. Eventually, everyone sorts out the pieces and
can enjoy Christmas at last.
Review: After being so disappointed with Love The
Coopers, I had to watch The Family Stone to see the story I really wanted to see. Everything works with this movie. The casting is wonderful, with each actor
delivering a superb nuanced performance.
The pacing moved swiftly, setting up the initial confrontation that
quickly melts into chaos, then smoothly transitioning to how they make up with
each other and move toward the future.
While it might seem a little far-fetched how much this family hates
Meredith on sight (only one person having met her before), I did not find it
outlandishly difficult to believe people were that judging based on stories of
her (probably from that one person). The
movie packs an emotional punch, leaving me both crying and laughing at
different moments throughout. Despite
having seen this movie a dozen times, I still am moved with each new viewing. Although I do not believe I am as uptight as
Meredith, I can relate to her awkwardness in the situation and her desperate
desire to be liked by the Stone family. This
is one of my favorite Christmas movies, and it earned the top spot on my list
this year.
I hope you all were able to enjoy some wonderful Christmas
movies this year. I already have some
new possibilities lined up for next year.
Have a happy holiday season, however you may celebrate it.
See you next week!
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