Muito Perto para o Natal

I have always been a fan of Jessica Lowdnes. But it is my first time watching Chad Michael Murray and I like the way the two actors play off one another. It is a wonderful Christmas love story. The only affectation I found distracting is the character's eating granola in so many scenes. After watching this program I went looking for other movies starring Chad Michael Murray because I am interested to see what he did with other acting roles.

This Christmas movie is filled with laughter, love and family. It's what Christmas is all about.

As much as I usually love him, Chad was actually quite an annoying character in this and as such, not easy to fall for. To be fair Jessica didn't do much for me either and not just because she's not a man. She was too perfect and it grated a bit.

It's not badly acted or put together, so I didn't feel the need to turn it off, but it doesn't hit high on my scoring list and probably only as high as it does, because Chad looks good in a dinner suit. I might tune in again in a few years, however it will not be a film I feel the need to watch at least every other year and definitely not annually. I'll just watch 'The Snowman' (1982) 3 more times instead.

It does feel a bit more like how a family Christmas should be and the activities all blend with the story nicely.

4ish?

The story has a bit of snowed-in-for-Christmas and of newbie-event-plans-gala. But the approaches were different both in story and dialogue.

I agree completely with another reviewer concerning Jessica Lowndes. For a long time, she was my least favorite of the actors we see repeatedly in Christmas stories. Maybe she's improved, or maybe she's just grown on me. Also she and Chad Michael Murray developed some great chemistry once Paul stopped insulting Hayley with virtually every word he said. Was Hayley a bit too sensitive? The "argument at the wedding" might have been overblown, but if Paul was as relentless then as he is for the first half of the movie, it's no wonder Hayley was unhappy. Just before half way, their banter goes from rude to playful and from there on it was fun to watch.

Some of the usual devices are there, but like I said, they seem a little unusual. I especially liked the ending. A lot of it is expected. Usually the final scene is what's expected but doesn't overly impress me. In this movie, I really enjoyed that final scene.

OR this script and JMM make her seem better. Typical storyline but not annoying. Dialogue very believable. CMM made the romance work. Supporting characters entertaining.

I mean, we all know what to expect from a Christmas movie and this has it all. Houses that are way too heavily decorated, far too many homemade cookies and a local Christmas gala etc etc. This one however, has an awful male lead, he's kinda creepy even more so after they start to like each other. This turned me off the entire movie.