Il ballo di Natale

For Regency and Victorian era fans, it might be fun to see two dances performed from that era, the Quadrille, and the Waltz done with some extra pizazz.

The bones of the story are pure formula. Claire lost her job as a ballerina and flees "home" to recoup before returning to seek a new spot somewhere else. Aunt Bridget is retiring. Together with Liam they work on a Christmas Eve ball to impress a committee to save the house. Liam and Claire spend a lot of time together. In this case, much of that is rehearsing the dance performances. The conflict is exactly what this situation requires. The outcome is exactly what you'd expect.

There are no great highs or lows or surprises in the story. Even the tension doesn't appear until late. The only thing that sets this movie apart at all is the historical angle.

I wish I could say there was great chemistry, but Nick Hendrix as Liam was too much the stoic English professor.