The Noel Diary

It's a heartwarming story; a feel-good story as most Christmas tales are although one might find it a bit cheesy.

The premise is rather unusual. How a diary could turn strangers into sweethearts, reconcile estranged relatives, and make a child fully understand her mother who abandons her is something to root for. And the movie brings out all the elements that make it a gem.

Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss have undeniably good chemistry on screen which makes their scenes together quite entertaining.

The soundtrack helps to energize it, and the cinematography captures the Christmassy feeling and tone.

There are many remarkable, quiet Christmas stories out there. This is one of them.

I'll admit, after Lindsay Lohan and Freddie Prinze Jr, Netflix was really dropping the ball on this year's cookie cutter Christmas films. But I am a glutton for punishment, so I, of course, had to watch this one immediately. The cast is great. I loved Bonnie Bedelia's character especially. I enjoyed the storyline. The acting was mostly good. The one major negative for me was the terrible editing. There were some really awkward camera zooms and just choppiness throughout and the cgi was unbearable at times. It was really distracting for me. I also really didn't buy the romantic chemistry between the main characters at all. Still, I was happy to see something a little different from the typical holiday film, as this movie delved into some heavier emotions; grief, abandonment, etc, which was a change of pace needed in this genre I think. All in all, worth a watch in my opinion.

There are some likable aspects to this film, but also some things I wasn't such a big fan of. What I liked most was Justin Hartley. He's a commanding presence on the small screen. You can count on good acting and charisma with him. He's a consistently believable character all throughout this story. Interestingly, The Noel Diary showed restraint in places where it could have really stirred up those feel-good, warm and fuzzy feelings in us. And then in other places, it didn't show restraint where it should have. For example, the primary romance isn't the sweetest as it feels a bit wrong at times given that one of the two protagonists is engaged to someone else throughout the whole movie. The deceit and cheating taking place definitely weakens the romantic aspect of the film, which is a major aspect. The other major aspect is the theme of abandonment and reconciliation with parents. This is handled better, though not utilized to its full potential. Still, with all the Christmas decorations and snowy scenery, it's very watchable if you're in the mood for a simple little Christmassy film to enjoy at the end of the day.

I wanted to like this movie because I am a Richard Paul Evans fan. I remember listening to the audiobook of this story a few years ago. In the book, the plot points are dealt with reverently and innocently (an Evans hallmark), unlike the writers of the screenplay who added characters that were not in the book and behaviors that were not in the book. They also left out some important reunions! Huh?!? All of this was very disappointing. I'm not sure Evans signed up for any of it.

In addition, there was a gloom hovering over the entire film. I'm not sure there was a sunny day anywhere. Every day was gray and snowy. The original story (as Evans wrote it) was about joy, forgiveness, and reunion.

Lots of missed opportunities. Skip this one and go to the library, a used bookstore, or Amazon and read the book instead. It's much better.

... the standard Christmas romance. The story had some depth and inspired real feeling and empathy for the two leads, each of whom was trying in their own way to resolve past traumas.

The cast were uniformly strong, and the leads had a believable chemistry. Both were likeable but imperfect (again, unusual in this genre but a welcome change!) Particularly enjoyed Bonnie Bedellia's turn as the romantically-inclined neighbour.

This movie managed to draw me in and make me care what happened to its characters - a sure sign of competent writing and acting.

Please Netflix - more like this! Real life has its challenges, as do real people, but they're so much more interesting than the standard Christmas movie versions we get served up.