Dial S for Santa

I've watched a lot of Christmas movies and this one was hard to watch and I held out hope for the end but it never got better. Sarah was simply unbelievable. There were no feelings or emotions developed. Not realistic at all and by the end there was no feel good emotions connected to the story. The best acting was by the robber and the friends back at the office. Ugh!!! Even the relationship between mom and the new man was void of feelings. The engagement ring scene was completely unbelievable. Mom's reaction to her daughter ruining a monumental event was flat. Maybe the script wasn't good enough. Not sure. But the development of the characters left a lot to be desired. Especially applicable with Lana.... No real believability.

Lana Lawton (Sarah Dugdale) is the most unlikable lead character in any Christmas-themed movie I have ever seen, including Scrooge or the Grinch.

I'm amazed she hasn't been fired as an investigator. She is driven to become 'Lead Investigator' but lacks any basic skill at investigation. Yes, she likes to snoop, but she jumps to conclusions without any proof at all and seems to think that her first thought is Gospel.

OK, the idea is that she is an curmudgeonly idiot who finds redemption, but any lead character has to have *some* redeeming characteristics to start with or we just don't care what happens to them.

The other characters are all likable and believable, which just makes Lana seem even more odious.

Not a bad story line but the main character Lana is one of the worse Hallmark actors I have watched. She is so fake and has little to no range of emotion or abilities on her face, body or voice. The support actors were pretty good just a shame that the main female actor was just so bad it took away from what the others were providing in the characters. I premise of the movie and the town or neighbouring store owners coming together and all getting along. Not much more to say on the movie just hoping to not see the actor in any other Hallmark movies or if so. Get her a great acting coach to help her.

Insurance investigator Lana Lawton (Sarah Dugdale) returns home to visit her mom who owns a Christmas store on main street. Someone broke in. There has been a spree of small robberies. Policeman Nick Fallon (Julian Haig) is on the case where few crimes are committed. The store has hired Kris Kringle to be the store Santa, but Lana tells her nephew that he's not the real Santa.

The town needs to be smaller. This needs to be one street of small stores. Otherwise, I like the premise and the mysteries. This is Hallmark's Christmas in July. The investigation stalls around the middle and so does the movie. I do like the Santa suspicion. She could do more like comically stalking Santa. On the other hand, I don't like her talking down on her mom. I really don't like her sex-shaming her mom. Writers need to stop doing that even if the character learns a lesson. She is a fine lead although the guy needs a bit more time at the beginning. Finally, I have an issue with the final act. This is mostly fine.

7.2 stars.

Not a bad film, although the reviews are in the cellar, which doesn't totally make sense. There are a bunch of slow parts and the mystery is very mild, but it's still endearing overall. The main female is in 'Virgin River' and she does well in a lead role, however she seemed to have lost weight for the role (pounds that she does not have to spare). First of all, judging body size, there is thin, and then there's what appears to be toothpick emaciated thin. She is a few pounds above a "starving artist". For the love of food, eat something. I'm not shaming, it's just not healthy looking. Anyways, back to the film. The main guy, a policeman, he's fresh and not too shabby an actor. He seems new to this whole family Christmas sort of film industry, but he'll do just fine. The mystery caught me off guard. Great misdirection. The romance is lacking, we don't get any gratification until literally the very end. Like literally, zero romance, a very miniscule buildup and all through the film it's no tension and very little focus on attraction. With 20 seconds left in the story, they are still friends, he proceeds to say he likes her a lot, she reciprocates, they kiss and the credits roll. I suspect that's the source of the low ratings.