Le come-back de Noël

Wow! This movie breaks the mold of what one finds on Hallmark this time of the year. I almost believe that it was made my an independent production company and Hallmark just bought it--it really does not have any of the usual tropes. Ladies, if you have a husband/ boyfriend around and you want to force them to watch a Hallmark movie this Christmas, I guarantee that this one will make them the least ill!

For anyone who has been estranged from a close friend or even worse, a close family member, it really doesn't matter with the passing of time. There is always a glimmer of hope that time can heal old wounds and in this case both family and an old friend are reunited.

The film title, One December Night, is a classic song the former duet of Bedford and Sullivan stopped singing ten years ago and so it has remained a mystery until this Christmas season when the son and daughter respectively of Bedford and Sullivan are tasked with bringing their fathers together again for a once in a lifetime Christmas performance.

The story has a mysterious past that needs to be revealed, a challenge for the present in making this Christmas concert a reality by re-uniting Bedford and Sullivan on stage, and a future romance brimming with possibilities.

Mrs. Shullivan and I both enjoyed the entirety of the film and recommend it to movie viewers who enjoy some good music, family and old friend reunions with a Christmas period theme. I give the film a better than decent 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Films centered around music is not new territory for Hallmark, with it being used quite a lot in its 2021 output alone. Heck even the Christmas output had this sort of premise, and most of them are fairly samey formula-wise. 'One December Night' however was a music-oriented film from Hallmark that sounded different from usual and had potential to have more depth than is often seen. Peter Gallagher and Bruce Campbell are also always watchable, regardless of the state of everything else.

'One December Night' really impressed me and does a great job with its very promising premise. As far as the 2021 Hallmark films having music as a big part of the story go, this is one of the best and most emotionally investable and also is different to the usual formula. Which makes it stand out. As far as the 2021 Hallmark Christmas films go, 'One December Night' is also another one of the best, and one of the better films of the 2021 output with a scenario that is not as predictable as others that year.

Is it a classic? No. Did feel that the ending was not a surprise and that it was a little on the pat side.

Did feel too that Eloise Mumford's character was slightly underwritten.

However, the acting is very good. Terrific actually in the case of Gallagher and Campbell, both showing different sides and bringing edge and heart to them with no signs of being taxed. The chemistry between them also grows realistically and doesn't come over as contrived or anaemic. The same goes with all the relationships, with that between Brett Dalton and Mumford not being too sidelined and being genuine and not dull. The characters were ones worth caring for, with both flaws and strengths that never go overboard in either extreme, and any development doesn't feel rushed or aimless.

Visually, 'One December Night' is not lavish, but it is slick and attractive enough. The music is great on its own and is beautifully integrated into the film, it is always a good thing when music is like a character of its own in a film etc, which is what this premise calls for, and that is definitely the case here. Very nicely performed too. The script is not too sentimental, while being more serious and personal than can often be seen from Hallmark, while having enough lightness to avoid being over serious without being juvenile or cheesy. The story is heart-warming and moving, done in a way that's not difficult to relate to.

Concluding, very well done. 8/10.

It was refreshing to see some older actors get some front row roles in one of these holiday hallmark films. This was a reunion of a famous musical duo for a pre-Christmas live tv concert. Things aren't exactly as they seem it is also a story about Alzheimer's, being clean and sober, and reuniting families.

As mentioned it was thrilling to see Didi Conn who played Frenchie in the original 1978 film, Grease.

This was a little different than most of the holiday romances on Hallmark in that it focused less on the romance and more on reuniting these two former musical brothers.

A broken friendship in need of mending, grief for losses in need of closure, aging with failing health, a rekindled youth friendship, good music, and Christmas time. Here, all you need for a rich story to tell in a movie. What makes the movie enjoyable is that all the ingredients are honestly dosed well, with gentle touch, and rendered credible. What could have gone, as often happens, pretentious or garbled with cheap emotions, becomes, here, a captivating and moving production. The acting is good, the pace is just right, the pathos is real. Kudos to Hallmark for choosing a different and thoughtful pathway.