A Christmas Treasure

Another Hallmark "boiler plate" plot. They need to make fewer movies of better quality - the best one this year, so far, is My Christmas Family Tree. I love the vintage - Hallmark Hall of Fame movies - they just don't seem to make many movies like that anymore.

The actors play off each other really well and the characters have decent chemistry. But the story has too many sub plots to really stay invested in the main story. The description of this movie puts a bunch of emphasis on a time capsule but it's hardly ever mentioned. The main focus seemed to be more on the tavern and the nephew's cooking. The lead actress has a story line of becoming a novelist wanting to go to New York but there's really no explanation as to why New York and not San Francisco where her ancestors actually wanted to get to 100 years prior.

All in all it's a decent movie with good charm, but the story is too muddled to stay interested.

This story is about two people bound for different big cities who meet in their home town and develop chemistry. Meanwhile there is a backstory about a recently opened 100 year old time capsule.

Home town values and nostalgia are big themes, but otherwise the story lacks any great highs or lows, surprises, or tension. The only tension is that the main couple are leaving after Christmas for different locations.

Jordin Sparks Thomas sings a couple of songs and she is good. Michael Xavier gives his usual fine performance as a down to earth guy connecting with the leading lady. They spend plenty of screen time together and it's nice to watch their relationship develop.

I never understood why New York is so important to Lou, or how she was planning on making a living.

This movie was better than most of the other Hallmark movies. A bit of a different story line. The leads were a better couple. Their characters were comfortable. Hopefully the rest of the Hallmark Christmas movies get better. Maybe Hallmark started listening to the bad reviews.

Other than working my way through watching and reviewing as many of the 2021 Hallmark Christmas films as possible, my other one of two reasons for seeing 'A Christmas Treasure' was for Jordin Sparks Thomas. Really liked her on 'American Idol' and wanted to see how she would fare as an actress, despite reservations. What has been seen of Michael Xavier (who has done a good number of Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas films in the past 2 years) has been very hit and miss, but he is far from unwatchable.

'A Christmas Treasure' is also watchable, but to me it didn't live up to its name and isn't a treasure. As far as the previously aired 2021 Hallmark Christmas films go and how it compares to them, it is neither one of the best (i.e. 'Christmas in My Heart') or worst (i.e. 'Coyote Creek Christmas'). Somewhere around the low-ish end of the middle of the pack category. The aspect that had me intrigued but also nervous prior to watching came off better than expected, but on the whole 'A Christmas Treasure' could have been better.

It has good things. Apart from some stiff moments early on, Jordin Sparks Thomas was a charming lead and was a lot better than expected, managing to just about make her character not too perfect or overdo any flaws. As an actress, she didn't blow my mind but there have been far worse examples of singers that try to act (i.e. Kellie Pickler). Xavier has likeability too, though it takes a little time for him to warm up.

The music is pleasant and appropriately festive, as well as beautifully performed. Some of the production values are nice, like some of the exterior scenery.

However, there are a number of shortcomings. The story never properly grabbed me, it does have moments of gentle charm and cuteness (without being too sugary), but the pace tends to be too languid, the tone could have been lighter and absolutely nothing new is done with a familiar formula for Hallmark. Would have liked more chemistry between Sparks Thomas and Xavier, they would be believable as good friends and come over that way but the romance is bland, with the relationship itself being underwritten (a big problem with it being focused on as much as it is). While both are acceptable on the whole, they don't grow properly into their roles immediately.

Did generally find the supporting cast flat and that the characters were tired cliches and not real people. It would have fared better with a couple less subplots (the nephew's cooking one was not particularly interesting) and given more time to the female lead's subplot and in particular the time capsule, which should have been primarily focused on but felt underdeveloped and incomplete feeling. While having nice moments, 'A Christmas Treasure' is one of the cheaper looking 2021 Hallmark Christmas films. The interiors being limited and will agree that the photography generally lacks focus. The charm and tension are absent pretty much and the ending is too on the pat side.

Concluding, watchable but rather average at best. 5/10.