A Dickens of a Holiday!

I was hesitant to watch this after reading a few of the less than positive reviews. Glad I watched this. It was wonderful. No overdone tropes, just a genuine story of two people and a transformation of a mediocre action hero into a quality dramatic actor. Kristopher Polaha was amazing! They both were exceptional. I like them both individually; here they were great together. I will add this to my DVD collection. And yes, they had great chemistry! Kristopher posted about it on his Facebook page. He enjoyed working with Brooke a lot. You can tell they had fun with this! Bravo!

While the basic story is common, it doesn't feel that way. Cassie is basically unemployed. Jake is looking for a promotion (a part in a new film). She turned him down for the prom in high school. Now he's an action movie icon. And they have to work together to save the festival. This particular story uses a less common premise that what they are working on is a performance of The Christmas Carol where she's the director and he's Scrooge. Certain subthemes add a little spice. Of course, there is going to be a romance kindled.

But what makes this movie a little better than average is the lead actors. Brooke D'Orsay and Kristoffer Polaha have great chemistry. I have rarely, if ever, seen either one of them not have great chemistry with their counterparts. Polaha does the movie action hero thing well and that persona doesn't disappear instantly, which is the mistake some movies make. D'Orsay's Cassie nurtures his hidden dramatic abilities as he gradually goes from an action oriented actor, delivering his lines with too much force, to one who feels the dramatic elements of his new part. And not to be shortchanged, Cassie blossoms under Jake's praise and encouragement.

Don't get me wrong. There are no outstanding highs or lows or surprises. The conflict and ending are predictable. The tension is relatively mild focusing on the outcome of the performance and Jake's career. The closest things to bad guys are the demanding mayor and neglectful agent. Neither is mean about it. But the actors make it enjoyable. It's not one of my top ten, but it was worth watching.

I love Kristoffer Polaha, but Brooke D'Orsay hasn't been my favorite Hallmark actress. This story gives them both a chance to shine. While it contains elements of your typical Hallmark plot - career crises, actor wanting to stretch, sibling issues, secret crushes, and a show to save - it still seems refreshing. Well done, Hallmark. Find another great story for Brooke.

Really loved the premise for 'A Dickens of a Holiday', with it being one of the most interesting and most refreshing-sounding ones of the 2021 Christmas Hallmark films. Have seen a lot of other work from both Brooke D'Orsay and Kristoffer Polaha, and have a generally high opinion of both (very easy to see why Polaha particularly is a Hallmark favourite). Anything that involves 'A Christmas Carol', an all time favourite, is immediately worth going onto my watch and review list.

'A Dickens of a Holiday' was one of the 2021 Christmas Hallmark films to be every bit as good and appetising as its premise and perhaps even better. There were some very good Christmas films from Hallmark that year, and 'A Dickens of a Holiday' is not just one of them but also one of the best and most refreshing of them. Also one of the best 2021 Hallmark films in general, the standard that year was very hit and miss (not unexpected, all the previous years for Hallmark were as well) but could have been a lot worse when it is a miracle that any films were made at all.

Sure, it is not going to win points for originality, with the conflict and ending indeed being predictable. The former being a bit on the forced and rushed side and the latter (as is often the case with Hallmark) too pat with the problems being resolved too easily and cheesily.

Everything else is without issue. D'Orsay and Polaha both bring their A game and charmingly play characters that play to their strengths really well. Their characters are also very easy to like and connect with without being too perfect. Their chemistry has enormous wit and heart, some of the best of any 2021 Hallmark film because it felt realistic and true to life rather than too hostile or too low key. The supporting cast support them very well in roles that come over as a lot more than just typical Hallmark cliches.

Furthermore, 'A Dickens of a Holiday' is attractively made and doesn't look drab or garish or like it was made in a hurry. Low budget and rushed production are not obvious. The music is very pleasant on its own while fitting within the film harmoniously. The script never sounds awkward and any cheese or schmaltz does not ever in any way go overboard, it has a nice light hearted wit while also being honest and mature too. The story may lack originality, but more than makes up for it with bucketloads of warmth, charm and heart.

The relationships are also fleshed out sincerely and with more depth than what is often seen with Hallmark. It did remind me in execution of another 2021 Christmas Hallmark film regarding mature handling of character relationships, 'A Very Merry Bridesmaid', except it is a lot more light-hearted and doesn't take itself as seriously. The pacing has more zip while also being gentle at times.

Overall, very well done. 8/10.

8/10

"Dickens of a Holiday!" is about a woman named Cassie who set to to direct the theatre production of "A Christmas Carol". When the usual Scrooge is sidelined Cassie is forced to make a decision she doesn't want to and asks an old friend and current mega movie star Jake to step in. A bit of a Scrooge himself he reluctantly agrees.

One of the few Hallmark movies that actually hits the mark. While it is definitely cheesy at times with how quickly problems are resolved and how flirtatious romance is practically already there, it still hits the emotional marks. The actors were definitely believable in their roles and the chemistry between them was perfect. The story in and of itself is engaging and touching at the same time.

The weakest part of the film was the cinematography. I hated a lot of the shots they used and at times it was distracting. I managed through, however, because as stated above, the actors were convincing in their roles.

All in all it was a perfect blend of holiday cheer, with the slightly cheesy romance and quick resolve of issues, and a cast that brought their roles to life. While it's set to leave Prime in a few short hours it's worth the watch the next time you come across it.