Christmas Unwrapped

I like it ! The main reason is the simple fact than it is a Christmas film, in which the holiday is not frame or pretext or scene for romance.

Yes, it is Santa's Christmas and that is well, including the meet between Charity and fake Frank. Amber Stevens West did a great job, using, in smart manner, all the nuances of her character. Marco Grazzini is a reasonable option for the role of Erik Galagher but not amusing remains the impression to see it in something like a promotion, all smile and gestures of popularity, becoming yourself little more agnostic than Charity Jones.

Another good point can the the reference to classic Christmas movies, the seductive use of the 12 days of Christmas and the truth moment - solved so easy with the perfect blog -.

I do not ignore Anthony Sherwood in the role of wise Martin Jones or Roger Dunne, deserving, in the last scene a fair old fashion close up.

Sure, many cliches, unrealistic situations but a nice eulogy of generosity and hommage to Santa Claus.

It was fine. The storyline was a little better than most Christmas movies.

I've found Lifetime's selection this holiday season to be lackluster at best. Deleting one 30 minutes in. But I loved everything about this one. Both leads did a phenomenal job with the acting plus actual chemistry. This movie also brought back what the made for TV Christmas movies have been shying away from. It infused the romance with the magic of Christmas and Santa. So many of the Christmas movies focus on not much more than the romance as of late. So this was a breath of fresh air with its air of mystery and wonder. I truly loved this one. This production also didn't skimp on the Christmas decorations and back drops of their sets, which I really appreciate! Plus I'd watch Amber Stevens West mime on a street corner. I hope to see her in many movies to come!

It's an interesting story line so it wasn't hard to watch, but there is no chemistry between the leads. The female lead's character is a reporter that's supposed to be cynical about the male lead's claim to be Santa's helper, but it plays more like she has ill intent. She seems to have a wish to destroy something known for helping so many people, as if it were a noble endeavor. She eventually becomes a believer, but due to the lack of chemistry between the two, the inevitable romance in the end is emotionless and falls flat.

A bit of a disclaimer: I have been challenged to watch all of Hallmark and Lifetime's original Christmas movies this year. So, I am questioning my mental state at this point ;-). Any hoot, this is my 17th one this season (2nd Lifetime movie); it is somewhere in the middle of the pack (latter half). As another reviewer on here stated, the movie is 'okish'. The plot/storyline was quite predictable and unoriginal, as there have been several Hallmark (and other) movies with similar plots over the years. The Christmas Ring, for example, comes to mind; it's one of Hallmark's originals this year (it's not very good). The story in such films, in a nutshell, goes like this: i) journalist meets source; ii) they start falling in love; iii) journalist starts questioning her (it is usually a female journalist) motives for writing the story; iv) journalist decides not to write it; v) editor (aka her boss) publishes it anyway; vi) source finds out and breaks things off; vii) (in some versions) journalist rewrites and publishes a new version that spins the source in a positive light; viii) source and journalist make up and fall in love; ix) the end. The acting, overall, was decent. I am familiar with Amber Stevens West as I watched her on the screen in the TV series GREEK. She had a pretty good performance here. I am not as familiar with Marco Grazzini. His performance was pretty good too, though he did have some awkward acting movements in a couple of scenes (e.g., when he confronted Charity about the article that was published). As another reviewer here pointed out, the chemistry between the two was a bit lacking, not ideal for a romance film. The supporting cast was strong; I did think Cherion Drakes (as Tisha) had a good performance...Morgan Kelly (as Aaron), on the other hand, not so good. The movie does instill some Christmas spirit and cheer. Fans of Lifetime and Hallmark will no doubt enjoy the movie.