A Cape Cod Christmas

What a wonderful movie to get you in the jingle mood. Katie Leclerc brought so much life to her character and the plot itself. Good plot with no holes. Lovely setting (very visually pleasing). Would recommend for anyone looking for a good Christmas movie to watch this year.

This is a charming movie for the holiday season. The romantic coupling between the two leads Margot (Katie Leclerc, best known for Switched at Birth) and Brent Bailey (various supporting TV roles) is gently heartwarming without devolving into an overly schmaltzy Hallmark TV movie.

The story revolves around Margot's return to her family home in Cape Cod which is now being sold after the passing of her parents. Margot's greedy siblings are anxious to cash in on their inheritance by selling to a buyer who insists on closing the deal before Christmas. Since Margot lacks the finds to buy out our brother and sister, she is forced to go along with the sale.

The real drama however is that between Margot and Brent which develops in a gentle way without seeming forced or cloying. Their banter is as entertaining as it is sensitive, and this is the kind of movie that you can enjoy late one night over a cup of hot cocoa, tucked up under the duvet, either alone or with a loved one. Their romance has its ups and downs although and we are kept guessing as to why their budding love story never seems to gain traction.

The only real weakness of the film is the misleading title. It is supposed to be a Cape Cod "Christmas" tale. Except the lush Autumn foliage suggests that shooting took place in October rather than late December! Or it is simply the warmest Cape Cod winter on record. But if one is willing to allow for the suspension of disbelief that the filmmakers ask of us, then the story will endear itself to all but the most cynical of viewers.

One reviewer talked about presentation making a movie implying I think that the plot is not as important. I did think that the presentation was excellent. The snippets of remembering were a nice touch and contributed to an otherwise quiet pace.

Katie Leclerc and Brent Bailey have excellent chemistry and I look to relationship development in a movie to pick up where a plot is thin. In this case that relationship was nice, but the plot was still glaringly thin. Then the climax where the conflict is resolved just struck me as wrong. It was a surprise but only because it too was bland.

The acting was good enough but the dialog lacked any spark.

A New England Christmas/A Cape Cod Christmas (2021) -

I liked the new guy, he was cute. This was the first film I've seen Brent Bailey in and I liked his character Christian the artist. However, what really bugs me with these films that have a lower budget, is that these "Amazing" painters aren't ever actually that good. I mean, admittedly I couldn't produce the picture that's painted, but I can recognise good art and the gift he gives her was like something from the 1930's and completely lacking style.

The leading lady, Katie Leclerc as Margot was okay and their connection was at least believable.

There were a few too many flashbacks used, that really weren't that necessary and because of the sepia tones it made them look positively ancient, which felt out of sync with the time period.

It got very twee too and a bit cheesey, certainly once her family arrived, but I did like the fact that the ending didn't go as it would normally.

The nephew, Ace (Jake Ryan Flynn) was very weird and quite clearly the progeny of his own uncle, The Sherminator, Chris Owen as Tom, who seemed an odd choice to bring in and so late on.

I did quite like the soundtrack, the folksy country style was definitely different, although some of the incidental music was a bit depressing.

I have always liked the films that include artists or writers, so I'm sure that I will come back to this one and I look forward to seeing Brent again in other roles.

6/10.

I've now watched more than 800 romantic movies and this one is one of the best. The story line is not so uncommon but the execution is excellent. The acting by, specially, Katie Leclerc and Brent Baily shines and they develop the romance in a believable way, not in a hurry but you feel that there's a connection from their childhood. The conflict between the siblings are also well done without being too dramatic or brushed aside. As a romantic move this one is well worth your time.