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victoria_mci
Reviews
A Royal Christmas Crush (2023)
Ugh
Where to start.....
The cheesy and terribly performed accents, perhaps? While I accept that this movie takes place in a fictional (Scandinavian??) country, why - WHY - would you try to make them sound British when the attempt falls so short? With the exception of a select few people, the mains are Canadian. Had they just spoken normally the inane and overused plot/dialogue may have at least been bearable! As it was it was difficult to take any of the characters seriously.
The mains had little chemistry, the Prince looked old enough to be his parents' sibling and the ice castle (at least from the outside) looked like an oversized snow fort.
Look, I know these movies don't have the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster, but come on. The flag of this fake nation has a red cross and several poorly drawn snowflakes. It was the icing on the cake.
It's an over used story with underwhelming performances. Good for background noise.
Ghosts of Christmas Always (2022)
Surprised!
I'll be honest I went into this one pretty sceptical based on the premise ... but wow! Surprise! I really liked it! The mains had great chemistry, which has rarely been the case in recent hallmarks. The actor who played Peter nailed the comedy and the actress who plays Katherine does a really great job with the part (which could easily have come across as cheesy and forced with another actress).
While it's a common enough trope, where the hero/heroine is forced into "finding the Christmas Spirit", this diverges from the path enough to make for a truly sweet and different sort of story while remaining true to every bit of cheese Hallmark movies are known for.
For Better or for Worse (2014)
Cringe cringe cringe
There is a painful lack of chemistry between the leads (I'm excluding Collin and Sophia from this because I think those two did great), and there are very awkward age differences - like, how old was Marco when Sophia was born? Wendy is what, 15 years older than her love interest? Given the unnecessary hostility in the beginning, what on earth drew them together? Certainly not any believable chemistry.
The acting seemed forced and while I really, really tried, I could NOT get into the plot or find a connection with any character. The parents were irredeemably pushy and disrespectful, and I'm not sure the writers know what being vegan means...(ie organic animal farm)...
Also, come on, marrying your potential (step) sibling, yikes.
Just a hard, cringy pass.
A Match Made at Christmas (2021)
Abusive relationships galore!
Run girl, run. Find a best friend who won't gaslight you and a boyfriend who won't end up murdering you in a fit of rage.
Honestly, this movie left me disturbed. The main character had her flaws, but she didn't deserve to be treated so abominably by basically everyone she loved. The line "we might hurt each other...I promise you that I will come back every single time." Did not come off as romantic but prophetic and slightly creepy.
Pass.
Chocolate Covered Christmas (2020)
Ho Ho No
As many people have already stated, the leading lady was...painful to watch. Not sure how this particular actress got the part but I'm convinced a piece of wood would have been more convincing. (Maybe that's why she's so pouty/mopey throughout). The leading man met typical hallmark standard, though given the ability of his love interest chemistry would have been more convincing with said piece of wood. The little girl who played his daughter - well, I'm not going to be mean but it was not great. Was she cute? Yeah. Apparently that was the only requirement.
Typical hallmark plot, entirely predictable but somehow still unpleasant.
Art of Falling in Love (2019)
So miserable!!!
Yes, the main character has gone through a lot but wow is she miserable!! She is closed off, secretive, irritable, unforgiving, all over the place emotionally...just thoroughly unlikable. She expects the world from the man interested in her (who is also hurting) but refuses to let him in. She doesn't want a relationship with him but blows up when he leaves suddenly after devastating news. Just all over the place and generally disappointing!
An Unexpected Christmas (2021)
Yikes
The main characters/actors are great, the plot is cliche and silly but admittedly cute. The family though...yikes. So, so cringeworthy. Overacting, terrible writing, unlikable, overbearing - really made watching the movie difficult.