8.4 stars.
'Royally Wrapped for Christmas' should be considered an instant classic. I found it to be very fascinating and you might be surprised, because it checks all the usual boxes of Christmas royalty films.
The story is of an American woman in New York City who manages a branch of a charity organization called the Festive Heart Foundation, based in a European country. Prince Aiden (Fehr) of said country and his executive assistant Willard visit the different locations around the world and the three top managers are invited to spend the holidays at his royal palace. The New York City manager is Lindsay (Lilley), a kindhearted and talented philanthropist and she has come up with a variety of ways of giving, which makes her the perfect candidate. Two other candidates are also invited to stay at the palace, a man from Dublin and a woman from Dubai.
It happens that Lindsey catches Prince Aidan's eye immediately when they meet in NYC. That first scene is humorous, fun, and witty. She doesn't know he's the Prince and assumes he's an accountant or something similar by the way he acts and his apparent lack of common knowledge. He rolls with her misguided assumptions and proceeds to have fun at her expense. It's all very innocent and funny and the "accountant" jabs are craftily inserted throughout the movie.
I was caught off guard at how entertaining this was from the beginning. I won't go into great detail with the plot, because it's the same standard you've seen a hundred times. She goes to the castle and collaborates with the two other managers on a project. The Prince makes excuses to see and work with Lindsey, the workers in the palace soon become aware of their mutual attraction, the Queen mother is not happy about it, and oh yes, the Prince has already been arranged to marry a foreign Princess...like I said, repetitive.
What is original about this royal tale are the clever and entertaining details that add depth and life. Lindsey introduces everyone to gifting two gifts on Christmas instead of the usual one. The first gift is for the recipient to keep, the second is for them to give to someone else, akin to paying it forward. The way this concept is conveyed is brilliant and very moving. Next, the gift that her best friend from NYC leaves with her, telling her she will know who to give it to when the time is right, is perfectly interwoven into the plot. The impact is much greater than I ever would have anticipated. Next, Lindsey routinely talks to a painting on the wall of her quarters, a portrait of a previous Queen Lilibeth, great, great, grandmother of Aiden, confiding her wishes and frustrations. There is a rich history surrounding Lilibeth and some secrets about her are revealed, adding more intrigue. The concepts, the mood, the profound lavish ambience, it's almost like a fairy tale.
The writing and dialogue are amazing, one of the best screenplays for Hallmark I've seen. This intelligent script is lost to many, but it's not lost on me, and I will enjoy this virtually unknown hidden gem year after year.
