Angels and Ornaments

Corrine is a musician who works in a music store; her boss Dave is an old friend of hers, and is sweet on her but would never show it because she has never seen him as boyfriend material. However, Christmas is coming up and she is fresh off a break-up with Tim, who keeps calling her hoping for a second chance. We know a bit about Corrine's background: her grandfather, overseas during WWII, sent her grandmother songs instead of traditional letters. The last one she got was on a Christmas Eve before he was reported killed, and when she died, she gave the song to Corrine as a keepsake, which she treasures. Her favorite ornament, also from her grandmother, is of a group of carolers, and one night, when some carolers come to her door, she notices that the front-and-center singer, Harold, is wearing the same snowflake scarf that one of the ornament carolers is wearing. Wouldn't you know that, a couple days later, Harold winds up as a seasonal worker at the music store. This is when the movie takes a "Wonderful Life" twist: Harold is actually an angel who has been assigned to get Corrine and Dave together. If he succeeds, he'll win his wings. But Harold has his hands full since Dave is a little gun-shy because of his own failed romances, and just as it looks like Corrine is starting to see Dave in a romantic light, that rat bastard Tim comes back in the picture. Can Harold get everything straight before midnight on Christmas Eve?

I give this Hallmark holiday movie a few extra points for its somewhat original plot. Yes, it's stolen from It's a Wonderful Life but it does have a couple of nice variations, and in its plot point involving an old song written by a dead loved one, even borrows a bit from the climax of The Bishop's Wife. The mostly Canadian cast, none of whom I remember seeing before, is fine. I like that Dave (Graham Abbey) is a little rougher-looking than the usual shiny bland romantic leads, and Sergio Di Zio, as the angel, gives an almost eccentric performance that ends up working well. I had some problems with plot loopholes that I can't discuss here, but I recommend this as something just a little different from the Hallmark Christmas Factory.

This Christmas TV movie does not stink (most do, some really badly). It was a story that I'd never seen before, and the characters had a believability despite the fact that this was a fantasy. Of the characters' performances, Harold, the angel was great, showing really good intensity and real feeling (not your typical angelic performance). In a nice twist he, as an angel, wasn't some know-it-all. Dave, the store owner, was game, sincere, and believable -- but not a total standout performance -- I suspect that he was constrained by some of the dialog. However Corrine was the most typical Hallmark heroine -- ie., a weak characterization. As other folks indicated, stating this was based in New York was silly -- a two-story store and a front-door of Corrine's home with a large-ish front yard and tiny stoop are so not NYC. Maybe the authors were too constrained by story length to make it Providence RI, Buffalo NY, Harrisburg PA -- so they said New York to mean some generic big city with cold winters. I also hated the "one-year-later" scene. This seems like a prerequisite for these Hallmark Christmas movies. Haven't they ever heard of "and they lived happily ever after"?

Sergio Di Zio wonderfully underplays his role as Harold, the Christmas angel that has a no nonsense approach to true love. I am coming at this from a different perspective than most people who will watch this film because I have lost love to death, knowing that I will never again be with my wife during this life. Casual couples who take one another for granted may be caught up in in the same predicament as Corrine and Dave in the film if they refuse to put themselves out for love. At the center of the simple storyline is that Corrine's grandfather had to go off to war and never came back. He loved fully, but his relationship was cut short through no fault of his own. In what I think is the pivotal scene when angel Harold unbelievably asks Dave, "You're not willing to fight for her?" we see the pathos of true love and his all-consuming disappointment in casual love. I certainly felt it. I was with Harold all the way. Don't take love for granted, it's embedded in human beings and human beings are fragile creatures.

2014 was a bit hit and miss when it came to Hallmark Christmas films, and perhaps even Hallmark in general. While there were good ones such as 'A Royal Christmas' and 'Christmas Under Wraps', there were also misfires like 'One Starry Christmas' and especially 'A Cookie Cutter Christmas'. There has never been any bias against Hallmark, far from it. Have actually been impressed by a good deal of their work, though a lot of it is average or less especially in the past few years even when judging them for as they are intended to be.

A very strong contender for the best of the 2014 Hallmark Christmas films is 'Angels and Ornaments'. Was not expecting a massive amount, and it delivers a lot better than expected. While not masterpiece level or perfect, there is a lot that works absolutely beautifully and it is very highly successful when taking the film for what it is. Not only is 'Angels and Ornaments' to me the best of Hallmark's 2014 Christmas films it is also perhaps among their best ever work, with it being one of their not many very good ones.

It's not a perfect film. Dave is a rather dull and one-dimensional character and Graham Abbey doesn't have an awful lot of spark playing too.

Did think too that the ending was too easily telegraphed and too tidy.

However, as said a lot of things work absolutely beautifully. 'Angels and Ornaments' pleases visually, lovely festive locations attractively and never drably or garishly shot. The music isn't as intrusive as it tends to be with Hallmark while the direction gets the job done well. The script doesn't get too cheesy or sentimental and does have a more natural flow when it becomes more settled. The story is not too heavy while taking itself seriously and is both warm-hearted and has a light touch when necessary.

On the whole as well it isn't too predictable, there are elements that are different than the usual Hallmark Christmas film and they are elements that feature a lot but not rammed down the throat. On the most part, the characters are worth caring about. Jessalyn Gilsig is a charming female lead but do agree about Sergio Di Zio giving the best performance and making the film. He did start off a little too intense at first, but softens quite quickly and brings understated sincerity to an entertaining and wise character without any signs of being on autopilot.

Concluding, very well done. 8/10.

Harold is out to get his wings, but first he must help a heartbroken woman see what is right in front of her. He must match her with her childhood friend before Christmas Day.

So the "angel" is Harold the "ornament" is a family heirloom that her grandfather gave to her grandmother when they met. As she places the ornament on her tree, ding-dong the woman's doorbell rings and she finds carolers dresses exactly like the ornament. Coincidence?

The movie that follows is delightfully funny and charming.

Worth a view.