The Christmas Detective

I really wanted to like this. It combines two things I enjoy, detective mysteries and Christmas. But the acting, especially by the supporting cast, was so bad it was distracting.

I saw it on the Oprah Winfrey Network channel.

The mystery was a good idea. The plot was okay. But the writing was obvious and the acting left a lot to be desired.

Christmas movies on Hallmark, Lifetime and OWN are usually pretty much all the same. That's why it's fun with they mix the Christmas romance story with a mystery. The plot mostly did that. But the very stiff acting (esp by the actor who played the Gunner role) detracted from the movie.

Look, it's not great. It felt like a slightly-longer episode of a TV series. It felt like it was filmed in a few days. The direction was unobtrusive; nobody was making artistic choices here. They just put a camera in a room and let the actors do their thing. The music was...fine. The clothing was lovely. The town they live in is Detroit, according to the dialog, but it looked more like Bedford Falls than the Motor City, with trees, lights, and decorations every three feet. It really was an escapist fantasy of a town. None of it made sense. And I loved it. Everyone was beautiful and kind and fun. The mystery was light as air, the stakes didn't exist. And its resolution was sweet and gentle.

I get it now! I understand why people love these movies! I want a sequel to see what happens with Sue and Gunnar. Maybe I'm just needing a little more Christmas in my life this year, but if they're all like this, I can imagine having them on in the background for the whole month.