L'amour en cadeau

Jamie Gertz, Tyne Daley lift this into memorable status. I found a bunch of Hallmarks and picked this one for the actresses and to see, at age 67, if these commodity entertainments can work on me. Well most don't but this did. I think acting and production values are above typical also.

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 (C H R I S T M A S ) MOVIES AND SPECIALS.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I AM HONEST! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN!

If you are a fan of old movies you will realize that this plot is very similar to the 1940 film "Remember the Night". That film had Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray.

In that film Lee Leander (Stanwyck) is a petty shoplifter on trial for swiping an expensive bracelet from a local jewelry store. When her trial is postponed until after New Year's, sympathetic Assistant District Attorney John Sargent (MacMurray) bails her out of jail. Together, they find themselves falling in love when he invites her to his family's home for the holidays where she discovers the warmth and love she's never had but always wanted.

In the film "Undercover Christmas" Jake Cunningham (Shawn Christian) is an uptight FBI agent assigned to protect Brandi O'Neill (Jami Gertz), a lower-class cocktail waitress who recently helped with the tax fraud investigation of her billionaire boyfriend. When Jake's wealthy parents (Tyne Daly and Winston Rekert) unexpectedly call him home for the holidays, Jake must bring Brandi with him in order to keep her safe prior to the trial. They pose as a couple in order to keep the proceedings a secret until the court date. The Cunninghams disapprove of the match but begin to accept Jake's "girlfriend" just as Jake and Brandi are truly becoming a couple. Brandi testifies against her former boyfriend. The movie ends as Brandi introduces Jake, her new love, to her mother.

Now Jami Gertz is a little out of her league here. In fact she is a little too old for the part. The reality is she is 10 year too old for the part.

On the whole the film is a predictable as a holiday fruitcake. However the film has its charms and the cast (for the most part) make this film more enjoyable then it should be.

Worth Seeing if you like Hallmark Movies

Although this movie strives very hard to promote peace and good will, it is spoilt by the unbelievable storyline. The cast does its best against the odds, but even the greatest optimist in the world knows that life is not really like this.

Still, it is an entertaining concept - and if you can accept first the unlikely premise and second the fact that the "happy ending" is achieved by making almost all of the characters go against type - then I recommend it just for the feelgood ending. I must admit that I only watched it because of Tyne Daly (who still has the ability to command the screen) - and have to also admit that it hooked me to the degree that I only started to question it all after it was over.

A good way to muster up the spirit of Christmas - what more can we ask?

I loved it, laughed, just a pleasure! I read reviews that say the plot was already in other movies, I don't care, this movie stands by itself in a big way.

Undercover Christmas was a fun,entertaining movie.Although the plot was not original,it did not lessen it's quality. The humor was clever,and the dramatic parts were touching. Jami Gertz and Tyne Daly were standouts,and although Shawn Christian did not get glowing reviews by at least one critic,I liked him in the role,and enjoyed several scenes in particular between he and Jami Gertz.