Too Close for Christmas

I mean, we all know what to expect from a Christmas movie and this has it all. Houses that are way too heavily decorated, far too many homemade cookies and a local Christmas gala etc etc. This one however, has an awful male lead, he's kinda creepy even more so after they start to like each other. This turned me off the entire movie.

As much as I usually love him, Chad was actually quite an annoying character in this and as such, not easy to fall for. To be fair Jessica didn't do much for me either and not just because she's not a man. She was too perfect and it grated a bit.

It's not badly acted or put together, so I didn't feel the need to turn it off, but it doesn't hit high on my scoring list and probably only as high as it does, because Chad looks good in a dinner suit. I might tune in again in a few years, however it will not be a film I feel the need to watch at least every other year and definitely not annually. I'll just watch 'The Snowman' (1982) 3 more times instead.

It does feel a bit more like how a family Christmas should be and the activities all blend with the story nicely.

4ish?

I enjoyed this Lifetime original Christmas movie. It is a low-key, simple story that focuses primarily on the dialogue between the leads, which is its strength, I thought. There is not much in way of sub-plots and other storylines in this one. The script was solid. Another reviewer on here talks of the various clichés and stereotypes used in the script. I notice some of these (plot devices) as well, but they did not bother me or take away from the film, from my viewing experience. To be fair, we are talking about the TV (romance) Christmas movie genre; it is not the most original genre of film. The strength in this one for me was the dialogue between the two leads, and of course the acting. The acting, overall, was strong. It was 90210 meets One Tree Hill (sorry, I could not help myself). Jessica Lowndes's portrayal of Hayley Parker, I thought, was pretty good. I agree with the other reviewers on here, I think, she has improved over the years (since 90210). Chad Michael Murray's performance (playing Paul) was strong. I think he does great in such roles, in this genre of film. Members of the One Tree Hill cast have been in some of the best Christmas movies I have seen this year (well done). The chemistry between the two is very strong, one of the strengths of the movie, I felt. The dialogue and interactions between them were convincing; it pulled me, as it were. I did feel the ending was rather rushed, or put differently, the writers could have done a better job setting up Hayley's reaction at the end. The supporting cast was good. No complaints about music or music editing, which has been an issue with some of Lifetime's Christmas movies this year. There is a little bit of festive cheer in this one too, but you should not expect a Hallmark production in this one. All and all, this is a low-key Christmas movie with some strong performances by the leads. It is a nice new edition to Lifetime's 2020 lineup. If you like dialogue and chemistry, this one is for you.

I have always been a fan of Jessica Lowdnes. But it is my first time watching Chad Michael Murray and I like the way the two actors play off one another. It is a wonderful Christmas love story. The only affectation I found distracting is the character's eating granola in so many scenes. After watching this program I went looking for other movies starring Chad Michael Murray because I am interested to see what he did with other acting roles.

This Christmas movie is filled with laughter, love and family. It's what Christmas is all about.

Couldn't get past Chad Michael Murray's bird nest hair. It was like someone roughed it up before every scene.. He was trying too hard to look rugged and ruffled and laid back. It just looked phony.