Christmas with You

Angelina (Aimee Garcia) is a popular pop star who is now feeling her age. She needs a new song for an event but is drawing a blank as far as inspiration goes. She sees a video of a young fan, Cristina (Deja Monique Cruz), whose birthday wish is to meet her. Empathizing with Cristina's longing for her departed mother, Angelina decides to grant the girl's wish.

Cristina's father, Miguel (Freddie Prince Jr), is a music teacher who happens to be composing a song that piques Angelina's interest. They develop feelings for each other while collaborating on the song.

This is another tropey, thus predictable, story. But there is something comforting about watching a familiar story unfold. It's like watching different versions of The Nativity, A Christmas Carol, Les Miserables, etc. Each version brings a different take on a classic tale.

This version of the aging-celebrity-finds-inspiration-and-love trope is brought to life by a likeable cast. It was a treat to see Freddie Prince Jr again. The process of composing a song got me engaged as it made me curious about the finished product which did not disappoint.

All in all, it made me feel good, which was what I was hoping for when I watched it.

Such a sweet movie! So surprised at the low rating! Freddie and Aimee couldn't have been better in their roles, so believable together that I suspect they might have had something going off the set as well. The grandma, the daughter, everyone was at the top of their form. Yes, it's a Christmas romcom, but the fact that it's an ethnic romcom makes it different and so interesting, seeing all the different family and holiday customs, the quinceanera....

And it delves into the life of an aging pop star who continues to set aside love, family and a normal life in order to maintain the trappings of stardom. Her competition gets younger every year and she fears that she won't be able to keep herself as well as her music relevant in a more youthful market.

This movie kept me glued to the screen. I laughed, I cried, and I was very happy with the ending. Definitely better than your average Christmas movie. Better than your average romcom.

Well acted, sweet, great characters and actually really good acting. As far as a Christmas movie this one is up there. The writing was slick and was very up to date. Sure the town was a bit twee and stock but heck, it's Christmas ! The lead was very sweet and sassy and carried it off great. Freddie Prinze was really good as the dad, as was the daughter. Grandma was a hoot. I felt this was whole adventure just "worked". The frustrations were real and yes, it's a Christmas movie, but the whole thing was performed really well and there was enough " unbelievability" in it to make it believable. Just sit back and enjoy - I know we did.

Watched it because haven't seen Freddie Prince Jr much since the 90's so - although this type of movie is totally not my thing - thought why not give it a go for relaxed easy viewing which is what I was looking for and exactly what it served. Although the whole film is all incredibly cute, lovely, happy, Xmas lights everywhere, cheesy music etc - all things that are absolutely not my thing - I just enjoyed it. It's basically just a nice movie and sometimes it's refreshing to just watch something nice. I also felt the actors all had fun with their roles and that really effervesced warmth from the screen. Found myself watching with a smile. Will put on for my niece over Xmas she'll love it.

Christmas With You is a pretty typical feel-good Christmas drama romance. But it's effectively sweet, romantic, and likable. Freddie Prinze Jr. Is still Freddie Prince Charming (Sorry I couldn't resist). But seriously, he seems like such a likable guy in real life, and his character in this movie is definitely likable. He's a good guy and a good dad. Aimee Garcia and Zenzi Williams make a great team and bring some quality acting skills to this simple little movie. All in all, this movie's target audience should definitely enjoy what they're given. The storyline is interesting and it's written well. As a music guy myself, I liked that writing a song was at the center of the story.