Sous le charme de Noël

No real subplots to keep interest going. A very slight secondary romance, between a pretty girl and a rather plump short chef. It was not a good match even though I like unlikely pairings. It's basically a travelogue exploring the Christmas traditions of a small New Mexican town. The acting was very weak, though Sara Canning was flashes of adequacy. Her love interest, a doleful widower with a young son, looked more like her father. He was very weather-beaten and too thin and had a terrible wardrobe. Like Hollywood's idea of what a Mexican-American man should be dressed like.

The flirty food fight was present and accounted for but thank goodness, the flirty snow ball fight was avoided but only because it was New Mexico. Very annoying Santa Claus imposter added to the overall fail.

When there's no chemistry between the two main characters, it's hard to believe the story. I've watched over ten Christmas movies so far this season and this one was probably my least favorite.

I like these cheeseball Christmas moves. I'll watch a few minutes here and there before I go to sleep. This is the first one this year in which I checked the time, wondering just how much was left in this terrible thing and it was half over. Ugh. I jumped ahead to the end.

Okay, the obvious. A travel writer who doesn't go to a strange town with an open mind. Also, she takes a random train to get there as opposed to renting at car at the airport. Sure, being dependent on the dude to take you to the B&B gets the action started, but it's unrealistic. And shall we talk for a moment about her boss who sent her there because she needed her Christmas Mojo restarted?

And the dude. What's going on with the prole worker denim jacket? Not a single other person in the town dresses like that.

A town that's so pathetic that they care what some random travel writer writes.

"Santa" at the inn laughing at nothing throughout the movie. I seriously thought he was supposed to be mentally disabled until he actually spoke a few sentences at the end. Huh. I guess the movie did have a twist ending after all.

Just OK. Certainly wasn't filmed New Mexico. Most houses in towns/cities in NM have some type or southwestern feel to them. Adobe mainly ... the house the lead male lived in with his son was unlike any house I've seen. Even in Albuquerque. One would think if they were going to say the story is set in a small NM town, they'd at least make it look believable.

Not a fan of the two leads and the "developing" love story. They have very little chemistry ... AND the kid is just too cute and agreeable for a real twelve year old.

All-i -all - just meh. Not one I'll watch again.

PS - those are unlike ANY tamale I've ever seen or eaten... HMMMM

The premise of a blogger or reporter in a small town filled with Christmas spirit is becoming a more common premise. And there's potential job advancement, which is a trope in almost every Christmas movie. There's a local who resembles Santa with a hint that he is more than a look alike. This movie crams in many of the usual tropes. And I do mean crams. (At least they leave out snow related ones.)

The movies has no great highs or lows, surprises or tension (other than the romantic).

In order to facilitate the obligatory initial animosity between the leads, Caroline is the stereotypical arrogant know-it-all city girl. You would think a travel writer would know better. And like all these movies, she quickly sheds that attitude and becomes friendly. The trouble for me was that I had trouble clearing my mind of her attitude. Sara Canning didn't seem natural in her acting.

There is no chemistry between the leads.