L'Amour sous les flocons

Was on the whole not very impressed with the 2020 Winterfest films. Didn't "hate" any of them and none of them are among the worst 2020 Hallmark films, but of the five the only above average one to me was 'Winter in Vail'. The others were mediocre at best. Absolutely have no bias against Hallmark, one can see actually with past reviews of mine for their overall output that a fair share of them surprised me in a good way although there were certainly also a fair share of stinkers.

'Amazing Winter Romance' is one of the stinkers and is the complete opposite of amazing. As far as 2020 Hallmark films go, it is down there with the worst and of the five Winterfest films from 2020 it gets my pick as the worst. 'Amazing Winter Romance' is not irredeemably awful and has a few good things, but those good things are overshadowed by the numerous major flaws. This is coming from someone who did see it from an open mind and who wanted to like it.

Beginning with the few things that 'Amazing Winter Romance' did right, it looks professional and pretty. The scenery in particular is of sheer beauty and people are not exaggerating when they say that the maze is the best thing about the film. There are a few pleasant moments in the soundtrack.

There are also a few good supporting performances. From Bob Magel, Nancy Sorel and adorable but not over cute Zoe Fish.

On the other hand, neither Jessy Schram or Marshall Williams cut it as the leads. Schram is stiff and at times tries too hard while Williams looks bored and doesn't look as though he wanted to be there. There is absolutely no chemistry whatsoever between the two. Melissa Marie Elias comes over as very hammy, quirkiness can be endearing and fun but when it is overdone to extreme levels it comes over as irritating. The characters are not well developed at all and are mostly dull or annoying.

Furthermore, the script rambles in a mundane manner and sounds awkward. The music mostly is completely forgettable and has little personality and the direction is routine. The story is excessively predictable from dull start to contrived and too neat finish, with nothing new done with a more of the same scenario filled to the brim with typical Hallmark plot and character cliches. The conflict is thin and lacks tension, while the story is paper thin and burdened by the pedestrian pace and the lack of charm and heart.

In summary, weak. 3/10.

Love Jessy Schram, but there is no chemistry between her and Marshall Williams.

According to Julia's boss she is lacking inspiration, the cheerfuless that she had when she first came into the city, so she sends her back home to make a story about the "charm of small towns". Once there she reunites with her family, her best friend Nate, and a few neighbours and friend.

I liked it. A lot. The maze was spectacular, that first air shot was beautiful. My first problem was Julia's parents. They are way too young. She clearly is not 20 years old. They always cast actors as parents and child who are probably around the same range of age. Julia and Nate were friends their whole lives. I love the "best friend to lover" trope, so they got me there. The actors had great chemistry. And not just the leads but the rest of the cast as well.

I'm not expecting much from Hallmark at this point: I mean, Julia's basket of fries was empty when she was in the maze and when she got out it was full. As far as they go, maybe they can do better but this was not bad at all. You had a plot, good chemistry and a make you feel good atmosphere (all I wanted was to be in comfy leggins and a fluffly sweater while watching this)

I don't care that we have literally seen it hundreds of times before, Nate going after Julia was so sweet. The whole scene was cute.

I'm not saying I will watch this again anytime soon, but I would definitely watch a sequel.

I really like Jessy Schram, but this movie was slow.

This is a good feel-good Hallmark movie. Hallmark movies are feel-good movies with low drama, sometimes spiritual, happy ending movies. If you need drama, action (world coming to an end), mystery, sexy love scenes, Hallmark movies are not for you. This is a sugary warm apple fritter with coffee in a good ole Canadian coffee shop feel good, picker upper movie.

The location is Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The maze is located in a small town just minutes away from Winnipeg in the upper northeast area. That maze is real. It really happens. The main street shots with the beautiful buildings and bridge over a river thing are Winnipeg. And there's much more to the city. Skyscrapers, anyone?

Jessy Schram did an amazing thing; she had very little makeup on. Did you notice? She's one of those, hmm, not-so-knockout beauty at first site kind of girl. Without the aid of makeup, her beauty slowly penetrates your mind, and before you know it, she hooks you. Suddenly, you find yourself looking forward to close-ups... and for myself, I wished I was thirty years younger.

The chemistry between Julia Miller and Nate Perry was not over the top; you've got mail, impossible to find in real-life connections. The chemistry was simply natural. And that makes it easy for you, the viewer, to put yourself in their snowshoes. Typically, Hallmark has a tough time with chemistry, but this was acceptable.

Julia Miller and Nate Perry's acting was natural. In movies, one person completes a sentence and then the other starts theirs. One sentence here.... and another there.... and another. But in real life, we often start a sentence in the middle of someone's sentence. It's like, we get the gist, now for the next point. In several scenes, this movie did just that. And that's unusual. And refreshing. Once again, it's real enough that the viewer can imagine being there.

One thing I like, as a born Canadian naturalized American, is the phrases that popped up here and there by the Canadian cast. Nate Perry, in one scene, used the phrase, "Hometime." That's a phrase I grew up within Toronto and haven't heard since my move to the States (Chicago, Boston, Orlando). That's not surprising. One of the writers was from Montreal. So, for Canadians viewing, it comes off as a bit of a kick. While we're on the subject, Jessy Schram has a Chicago accent. Most of the cast have a Canadian accent. See if you can hear it.

The supporting cast was superb. Came across as natural and unforced. And they did what was needed, support the main characters without trying to steal the show.

Often, especially with Hallmark, you expect the shoe to drop two-thirds in. In this movie, it didn't happen. What did happen was character development. Julia Miller slowly fell in love with Nate, overcoming fear, and Nate's character developed to overcome rejection. The crescendo was typical Hallmark.

Which reminds me... I suddenly have a craving for an apple fritter and coffee... in a Canadian coffee shop.