Noël à la une

Love seeing Chicago onscreen and what an old school type feel in this movie. An ode to retail and newspaper businesses. Love it! Chi makes great backdrop and character itself.

While liberties are taken in every film (was army and find those hard to watch at times) to tell the story, this was a great feel good Christmas story. Chi is perfect setting and I was transported back in time while seeing the magic of Christmas present. Reminded me of my own childhood going to a smaller city to department stores at Christmas. Love the nostalgia and bringing into present. Plus the diversity of actors.

Online shopping is convenient but this brings it home to the wonder of retail, writing and Christmas.

Although the concept for the story didn't sound anything innovative, something that one should never expect from Lifetime as you are nearly always going to be disappointed, part of me was intrigued by it as it did sound like potentially there could be things done differently to usual. As some may know already, this reviewer is somebody who has a big thing for good concepts (as well as good casts) and a big bugbear of mine is when they are squandered.

'Christmas 9 to 5' doesn't completely waste it, as despite my interest expectations were still not massive. At the same time, it doesn't fully explore it let alone exceed. It does try to do a few things differently, but none of them are executed well enough. As far as 2019 Lifetime Christmas films go, 'Christmas 9 to 5' is neither one of the best or worst and more a watchable middling effort that at the same time doesn't deserve obscurity status.

Shall start with the good. The production values are quite nice, some of the scenery being beautiful even. Regardless of questions about authenticity the film for me was easy on the eyes. Some of the soundtrack is nostalgic and appropriately festive. There is evidence of charm and heart and the joy of Christmas is captured well.

Tiya Sircar is an amiable lead who really fully engages with her roles without exaggerating. The other casting standout was George Wendt, who is suitably jovial and has a real twinkle in his eye.

Less good sadly was a rather flat Joe Dinicol. There are moments of charm in his chemistry with Sircar, but their chemistry tends to look too awkward and could have done with more initial tension. To me it was a mistake for the central chemistry to be introduced late, as a result it did feel too rushed and underdeveloped (it also appears pretty out of the blue). The script is not as cheesy or as schmaltzy as some Lifetime Christmas films can be, but it does feel a bit on the bland side and do agree that it would have easily have passed for a script from 10 plus years ago.

While the story has some charming and engaging moments, it doesn't properly come to life consistently as a result of narratively the film being quite thin and doing little new with well worn tropes. The ending felt too rushed and too tidy.

Altogether, watchable but a bit mixed here. 5/10

If Christmas shopping is a kind of "tradition" for Americans, then I am seriously concerned about the values that this so-called "democratic" country spreads and imposes (in all possible ways and with all possible tools) throughout the world.

Christmas 9 to 5 (2019) -

As someone who has done more than my fair share of Christmases in a retail and hospitality environment, I can honestly say that this was not a film for customer assistants, supervisors or managers to watch unless they want to spend the entire hour and a half scoffing at everything that was wrong with it.

The producers of this film had no idea how retail works and I had to question if they'd ever even been in a shop or understood how a business is run, because there was just no way that you could save a department store like that in just one Christmas by doing the things that happened in this film.

And Joe Dinicol was not a leading man, if he'd been my manager, it would have taken a lot for him to have earned my respect. What a dweeb, he couldn't run a shop to save his life. If his character had been a sales assistant or a visual merchandiser I might have found it more believable for her to make a connection with him, but it was hard to believe them as a couple with him being such a useless manager and her being just as useless at so much too.

The story had been done before, with a better structure and written by someone who had actually worked in retail or at least been in a shop, but the ideas in this one were all too far fetched and a lot of it was very cliched, without actually doing the tried and tested the justice that makes it so often used.

It was all very obvious, without it being cute in any way and it just angered me for all of its flaws.

2.50/10.

A modern fairy tale. Saved by the Diamond's against the main actors who unfortunately,are not the most inspired optiond for their roles. Because, nice as Christmas film, it has 0 as romance. An imposible couple and a so forced connection brtween them ! But, sure, like many other films of genre, the supporting actors are real good. And the mixed family sounds reasonable. Short, it could be better. For dialogue, first. But, with indulgence, it can sounds. . nice