La tavola di Natale

Based on last year and this, GAC Family Christmas movies are hit and miss.

This one is definitely the former, thanks to the excellent chemistry between the always-gorgeous Merritt Patterson and Australian Daniel Lissing.

What a difference good acting makes! A "sweet" story of Molly (Patterson) a small-town caterer who gets a contract to provide food for a Christmas gala for the town benefactor's foundation. She meets Carson (Lissing), the somewhat black sheep of the family and - as you probably have figured out by now - sparks fly.

Yes, Catering Christmas a formulaic movie, the likes of which we've all seen many times before (right down to the expected moment where a difficult choice has to be made by one of the protagonists - a very popular, oft-used Hallmark/Lifetime/GAC Family plot twist) but it's also quite nice.

(Dear Hallmark, Lifetime and/or GAC Family: much more Merritt Patterson, please!)

The thing about Catering Christmas is that you don't feel any troughs and peaks emotionally. There is no ancipation. The writer and director set out to make a pleasant movie and this is what it is. It's sort of one-toned. It's a nice movie to watch if you have exhausted the top 20 Christmas movies on Netflix. As far as performances are concerned, I liked Rosemary Dunsmore the most, she suited her character very well. Daniel Lissing was okay but i felt that he is probably better at intense roles. I couldn't make up my mind about how I felt about Merritt Patterson's performance.

Suffice to say It's a one time watch.

I agree with the reviewer that GAF movies are hit or miss and that this one is a hit. In my opinion, GAF is still building. The success of any particular movie for theme depends on the quality of the stars and other creative staff. They have a few great actors and their movies tend to be winners. The newer faces have to this point not been at the same level.

Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing are true veterans in this genre and it shows. This particular pairing has good chemistry although not quite the witty banter seen in some movies. Good dialogue, but not sparkling. Patterson has always impressed me with her presence on the screen. Her presence is sophisticated as opposed to soft and fuzzy. Still she is definitely appealing.

This story follows familiar lines. The leads are thrown together to prepare for a Christmas gala. Molly's business is less than thriving and she needs this event. Carson is in the process of finding himself. Together they boost each other in their best qualities. I'm glad that the controlling Aunt is just that but not overly Scroogelike despite her reputation. She's tough but not mean or rude. Her side story contributes something to fill out the overall story. The activities are the usual - baking, decorating etc. The conflict near the end is another very common plot device and predictable.

Is there any significance that Patterson was the professional photographer in her Christmas movie 3 years earlier while Lissing plays that role here?

I enjoyed this move despite a story that doesn't stand out with any special highs or lows or surprises. Like many GAF movies, the level of dramatic tension is low but it is totally family friendly with little to cause controversy unless the lack of it is controversial in itself. I enjoyed it largely because of the relationship between the leads and upbeat atmosphere.

Catering Christmas is a sweet movie, but the plot is nothing special and quite predictable. In the movie, Molly runs a catering business and she lands a gig to cater a Christmas gala that could make or break her career. She then meets Carson, and from there it is just like every other Christmas movie. Things seem to be going well for Molly and Carson, but of course there reaches a point of tension followed by the final resolution. Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing were fantastic as the main cast, and Rosemary Dunsmore and Michael Hanrahan were great as well. Catering Christmas is by no means terrible, but it is not unique enough to standout from all the Christmas movies out there.

This is a beautiful film based on basic standards. The locations, houses, decorations, and shots are beautiful. The main characters have great chemistry as is expected from a typical slow-brewing romance. The only major downside is there isn't much of a plot. The guy character has no bigger predicament than being rich and trying to conceal his identity out of fear of judgment and wanting to fit in with the "regular" community. The girl character shows some career growth in trying to impress her employer, but overall there are no major twists and turns that would make the story more interesting than just a relaxed feel-good holiday movie. Still worth a watch for the set design.