Anjos do Gelo

Really liked the idea for the story and setting, which at this time was different for Hallmark and their festive efforts. Even if it still sounded formulaic, which is pretty much what one expects from Hallmark anyway. The title was quite cute, refraining too much from being too cheesy like film titles from Hallmark can be in game attempts to be cute and catchy. Have seen Rachel Boston and David Alpay in other things and liked them.

Just like here. While 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' is no classic, of Christmas and overall, it does its job very well and has a lot of charms. Of the Hallmark Christmas films, 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' is one of the better and more refreshing of theirs. The sculpture setting would be used again with them two years later with 'Christmas Festival of Ice', but 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' does the setting much better and is the far better film by quite some way.

'Ice Sculpture Christmas' doesn't succeed in every area. A lot more agreed could have been done with the business conflict subplot and the co-worker character is too cartoonish (a shame too that after the film made a big effort to do things differently to have a character so over the top cliched).

Some of the dialogue could have flowed more naturally and been less corny and some of the music is a little too intrusive (other Hallmark films did this far worse though).

However, 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' looks very nice. The scenery has a real charm to it and it's beautifully photographed. The music generally has a pleasant nostalgia and a lovely Christmassy quality. Boston and Alpay are both strong presences in the lead roles, wholly succeeding in making their characters not just have personality but also likeable ones at that. The supporting cast are well chosen and looked as if they were having fun. The characters, apart from the co-worker, are engaging and worth caring for, also feeling more than typical Hallmark cliches.

Another big selling point here was the chemistry between Boston and Alpay. It was immensely charming and there was nothing lukewarm or disconnected about it, there was no doubt that the two characters cared for each other and the relationship grew at neither a too fast or too slow pace. The direction didn't feel routine and was at ease and in control of the material. The script is light hearted and heart-warming, over-sentimentality being kept at bay. Did appreciate that there were less cliches (i.e. No other halves with unappealing character traits) and that there were attempts to do things differently. The ending is also not too pat, which is a common Hallmark problem but not here.

Overall, well done. 7/10.

Having not seen each other since they were kids, aspiring chef Callie (Rachel Boston) and rich man's son David (David Alpay) are reunited and fall in love while working together to win an ice sculpture competition. Enjoyable Hallmark movie that benefits from very likable leads and a pleasant tone without some of the more irksome parts of the Hallmark formula. Don't get me wrong, this is a routine Hallmark movie in many ways. But having seen so many of these things I really appreciate the ones that try to mix it up even a little. For example, the guy in this one does not have a witch of a fiancée and the girl does not have a fiancé that focuses too much on work. Those are two of the more common Hallmark tropes and I was happy to see neither present here. In fact, there is no love triangle in this, save for a brief point where Callie is given the wrong impression about David's relationship with a friend of the opposite sex. That alone is a refreshing change in the made-for-TV romcom landscape. But there are some elements you will have undoubtedly seen in other movies like this. For example, David's subplot about not wanting to take over his father's business is pretty trite and the ambitious and jealous coworker of Callie's is a walking cliché. But the movie needed a villain, I suppose.

I actually think one of the reasons it works so well is that there isn't much of the usual romcom cartoon villainy, outside of that one character (and maybe David's dad in one or two scenes). The plot provides some bumps in the road for the couple but never any major roadblocks. To some, that might sound boring, but to me it's one of the reasons I like Hallmark movies. This is feel-good entertainment that's easy to digest. Rachel Boston is a delight and David Alpay has an easygoing, gentle quality about him. Their chemistry is believable, which is half the battle. It's a good way to pass the time for a couple of hours. If you're a fan of Hallmark's usual output, you'll likely enjoy this.

The movie overall is great. The main difference between this movie and other Hallmark ones is that the plot line isn't blatantly predictable. The chemistry between the two leads is great, and the entire movie was completely realistic. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the relation of the beginning, where the lead characters are shown as kids, to the present day. It really gets the viewer thinking about what would transpire between them, which will come later. It also shows the good side of humanity with the character of David. There is little hostility in the movie among characters, as this is replaced by self vs self conflicts sprinkled around. I would certainly recommend if looking for a fun and slightly romantic Christmas movie to remind us all about the spirit of Christmas.

Callie (Rachel Boston) has always longed to be a successful chef, since childhood. Her father was the main handyman at a posh country club near their home and, each year, he would take his family to view their ice sculpting contest. One year, Callie was even given an extra block of ice to carve and was admired by a little boy, David. Now grown up, Callie has finished culinary school and recently landed a job as a dishwasher in the country club kitchen. It's a start. In fact, the job is a stepping stone to food preparation and each underling gets to view the top chef in action. The holiday season is starting and the sculpting contest is still going on. As luck would have it, Callie literally runs into a grown up David (David Alpay), now a very thriving businessman. His family has always been wealthy, Callie's middle class. Yet, David is charmed by this brief encounter and wants to get to know her better. In secret, he signs Callie up for the ice contest, something she was reluctant to do since her boss has won the last three events. But, its a go. With David helping as her partner and her boss gaining admiration for her underling who pitches in on the cooking line when needed, will Callie win a prize and become a sous chef? Not if the current and very mean sous chef can wreck the prospects! This is quite an usual film for Hallmark, as ice sculpting is not a well known skill. Who knew it went hand in hand with cooking, as chefs are often required to carve a figure as part of food presentation? Its not a likely subject for ten future films but this one is quite nice. The two leads do their jobs well and the supporting cast, plus fine scenery, costumes, direction and a sweet script move the flick along nicely. As still another offering in the growing repertoire of dear Hallmark holiday movies, fans of the genre should seek it out.

First off, we love Rachel Boston and the extreme perkiness she brings to her movies in this genre. This movie was well written, very well cast and acted and a real team effort to produce a quality film within it's category. Highly recommend