A Gift Wrapped Christmas

I feel like most Christmas movies are so cheesy and the acting is mediocre. This movie was so different..... the acting is amazing! It almost seems like they weren't going off a script and seemed more real!

We have been flooded with tv Christmas movies since the beginning of October. Most I would switch off after 5-10 minutes but this one was different. The storyline was nothing out of the ordinary but Meredith Hagner's sparkling performance as the hired Christmas shopper stood out and lifted the entire movie to a higher level. She has that touch of magic possessed by the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone and Emily Blunt.

Writing skill, casting and chemistry between the main characters (with efforts from the supporting cast) make or break these generally formulaic Lifetime/Hallmark holiday films.

It is very interesting to me that many of these efforts, with similar small budgets, vary so widely in quality.

This recent made for TV production clearly didn't have the budget of the long ago big studio holiday films. Once upon a time, these had "A" list stars and the very best supporting actors in Hollywood. But, after all this is a made for TV production. So, direct comparisons are unfair.

My opinion is that the writers are not so much mediocre as...restrained.

However, mix some charisma and a little chemistry and reasonably witty writing together and you get a watchable story.

This one does better than average. It shows off Meredith Hagner at her best (perhaps by pushing other characters into a vanilla background).

This seems to be a "hallmark" of the Hallmark films. The female protagonist gets the lion's share of the story and the rest of the cast (with a few exceptions) fades into the scenery very quickly.

That would be the big diff between the holiday films of the past and those of the Hallmark channel. These current supporting actors are short-changed both in screen time and vibrancy of characterization.

Having said that, this is one of the better attempts.

There's nothing new in the storyline, a prissy workaholic young widower and his 8 yr old son get challenged to celebrate Christmas and maybe fall in love again through the work and persistence of his personal shopper. However Meredith Hagner shines in her role as the personal shopper - quirky, funny and incredibly lively performance steals the show. Travis Milne ably supports her as the widower. It's a good watch on a cold night

Throughout my whole Christmas film completest quest undertaken since late 2019, an interesting quest but very mixed one, there was never the mentality of expecting a classic or the film in question to be flawless. Something that was never managed with Hallmark's and Lifetime's output in particular. There was however always the expectation of seeing a film where one can see at least some effort rather than merely cash-in level.

A distinction that does not belong to 'A Gift Wrapped Christmas' in any way. It is not quite a Christmas classic, but out of the films seen between then and now (which have been very hit and miss) 'A Gift Wrapped Christmas' is easily among the best faring and quite a pleasant surprise for a premise that could have gone either way. With almost everything done remarkably well and only a couple of things done imperfectly which was not unexpected in a way.

Other than the expected predictability, 'A Gift Wrapped Christmas' weak link is the ending. Rather abrupt and hasty, and yet another ending to feel too neat.

However, the film looks great. It's not too drab or garish in photography, the editing didn't seem rushed or disorganised and the scenery has a real charm to it. Most of the soundtrack is nostalgic and appealing to listen to, capturing the festive spirit well. Have seen a lot of over-scored Christmas films, but that's not as much the case here.

Script just about avoids being corny and saccharine, with it never coming over as awkward, and the story is mostly very engaging, easy to be uplifted by and heart-warming. Not to mention quite poignant. Did like the characters too and they came over as more real than characters for most recently seen Christmas films (for instance Hallmark has an annoying tendency to exaggerate character flaws).

Gwen in fact was quite refreshing, easy to root for from the start and that and her positive role model-like quality stayed. It helps too that she is played perfectly by Meredith Hagner, who has a lot of positive energy and also nuance when needed while not making Gwen too perfect. All the acting is very good and so is the chemistry. Relationships develop at a realistic rate and not given short shrift.

In conclusion, very well done. 8/10.