Hot Chocolate Holiday

Until 30 minutes of the movie is past, Collete is picking a fight with her new neighbor Marcus because she thinks he stole her Grandma's hot chocolate recipe. Then like so many of these movies, her animosity just goes away and for the rest of the movie she is bending over backwards for him in several ways. It's true that at about the halfway point something unexpected happens which would explain some of her change in attitude if she hadn't already started softening. Actually, one unexpected thing and then soon after a twist which some viewers might have seen coming.

It looks like one of the most common sources of conflict in these movies is about to happen, but it doesn't, so after the initial animosity, there is almost no tension between the leads. The chemistry is so-so. As a result of all this, the last part of the movie is flat, both the story and the romance.

Realism is not expected in Christmas rom/coms so I won't even go into the myriads of ridiculous things that happen but just a hint on some - health codes.

Slow moving, no spark between the leads, some good acting, but does contain a few scenes in which the acting is bad enough your eyes will roll into the back of your head. The story line is rediculous, the script needed a rewrite, and the acting was uninspired.

Even for someone who has low acceptability threshhold for holiday movies, this is not worth the time.

To set the expectation, this is a Lifetime movie that strikes me of more of a Hallmark movie. It's pure innocence, nothing that would raise a brow or create even an iota of scandal.

This story focuses on two young entrepreneurs who both have started their own cafe businesses. Technically, one is a cafe (hers) and the other is a pastry shop (his). They are neighbors on a cute Hallmark-y street, and have just met at the start of the movie. They have no chemistry, because they are both somehow a little reserved.

Colette is adorable but extremely suspicious that Marcus is trying to steal her business when she discovers that his hot chocolate recipe is identical in taste to her own.

I won't give away the rest, but basically, the story writes itself. Except: there are some little twists that create more interest than the usual Christmas movie.

1. There is a twist mid-movie that is not expected, at least not to me.

2. The situations are realistic; money is not overflowing magically, and there are potential hardships.

3. The supporting characters (his partner and that person's wife) are very likeable, real, and contained by the limitations most of us would face.

4. The mom of Colette is probably my least favorite character, mainly because she has an inexplicable hard side. However, I think the movie resolves (or at least explains) that fairly well.

My only concern is the resolution; I thought that should have been more of a dual decision, but you can watch and see for yourself.

Hot Chocolate Christmas/Holiday (2020) -

My opinion of this film was probably skewed by the fact that Jonny Swenson in the lead male role of Marcus was absolutely adorable. The face, those eyes and that smile - Swoon! With a bit of work he might even be able to learn to act too. He wasn't the worst by a mile, but he needed a better director, bless him.

The character of Frank Banner was very odd though, as if they had dubbed his voice afterwards and not considered how weird it was and Colette's Mother was a tad special too, like something from a cartoon rather than reality, which this film mostly seemed to be otherwise.

I liked the slightly different storyline and the friend dynamics. Sometimes having too many other characters can take away from the main romance, but they really bolstered things in this film.

I could see the appeal in Marcus from the off, but I needed her to calm down before I started to think that Colette might be worthy of him and when she realised that she had been a crazy lady it definitely got easier to believe that they might be falling for each other.

The film was full of Christmas and mostly cheerful. Jonny's smile really was so charming that you couldn't help but want him to succeed, even with the occasional bad line delivery and in the end, even she wasn't so obnoxious that I wanted her to fall flat on her face.

6/10.

Ho-hum movie about a hot chocolate shop owner who is accusing another hot chocolate shop owner of stealing her grandma's special recipe. The writers of these shows must be all utilizing the same brain cell. They certainly are NOT using the one about new, inventive ideas. I do not care for Aubrey Reynolds in anything. Her acting is wooden and stiff. I get the idea that she is just "playing herself" in each role. The only thing that salvages this film is Jonny Swenson's megawatt smile. It lights up any space he is in. On the bright spot, to help you plod through this slow-moving quagmire, turn it into a drinking game and every time they say "hot chocolate" take a drink. You will be snockered by the end of the film. Talk about hammering something home.

Also, what is it with these Hallmark/Lifetime/GAC movies and the hot drinks? The cups are obviously ALWAYS EMPTY. You don't take a hot cocoa from someone, throw your head back and gulp it down. Not unless you want a scalded throat. Even THAT you can't make believable? A hint: it's the little minutiae that drives viewers nuts.