Wow! I know there are more to come, but I can't imagine any of them being better than this one!!! I have been watching most of the new ones for escapism at this difficult time, but this elevates way beyond that! #1 The music.Lucia Micarelli is a gifted musician, and they actually give her a real chance to shine here #2 The cast: Michael Rady never disappoints, he is way above average for Hallmark leading men (watch his eyes). Lucia is a lovely natural actress, and I totally believed in their relationship. And the rest of the cast is wonderful too. #3 Of course, the plot is predictable, but there are far fewer cutesy touches than usual. A Christmas train instead of a tree lighting ceremony (I am sooo tired of those), a touching moment in the middle that brought me to real tears, a sense of engagement with and caring for the characters, a kiss earlier in the movie where it was appropriate instead of forcing us to wait (artifically) for the obligatory kiss at the end, etc. I am a true movie lover, watch many kinds from the lighter fare to the deepest drama, and I adjust my expectations accordingly. But little adjustment needed here, this film ranks in my top few favorite Hallmark Christmas movies since the Hall of Fame days, and I actually can't wait to see it again! (I have feeling it will be hard for me to go back to the plastic artificiality of the average Hallmark movie now, but I can live with that.)
Review of The Christmas Bow
