Magic in Mistletoe

Full disclosure, I was hoping for a comedy since this film stars Paul Campbell (Three Wisemen and a Baby). The dude also wrote Unexpected Christmas, a classic. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Paul plays Harrington, an author who wrote a series of Christmas novels focused on his hometown of (you'll never guess) Mistletoe. He posts a scrooge-like message online and is on the verge of being cancelled until his publisher's PR rep shows up to save him; wow him; spend time with him; hand him pens; decorate in ways he hates; slow the story down; meet people who already know him; accompany him to sparsely attended events. OK, all of these things. This film is incredibly uneven. Harrington seemed to learn his lesson in minute 36 or so, when my movie-watching buddy turned to me and asked if the movie was already over. Sorry, there was 1.5 hours of bland mushiness, and mild life-lessons remaining.

I have read the other reviews so far, and I definitely understand why this movie isn't necessarily a favorite.

A quick summary: Paul Campbell, known for his clever wit and affability, takes a more moody tone in this movie. Instead of being his usual laid-back self, he portrays a 'down on life' author, and is insufferably grouchy, though we understand his plight.

He lost his parents, and has become sour on Christmas as a result. On top of this, his infamous books (which struck me as Harry Potter-esque) have bloated his fame to proportions that make him feel overcommericalized and basically sick of everything.

His publicist is helping to save him from himself; she tries her best to do damage control, but he's slow to trust her and she is equally put off by him.

They find common ground by the end of the movie, although the chemistry (in my eyes) never forms. I don't know if PC is trying to stay out of really romantic roles; I understand he's happily married in real life, and I'm sure that there's some hesitation on his part to sink into these overly romantic roles. He does fantastic work with comic relief, and that is his strongest suit.

I missed the witty writing in this movie; none of the lines or situations were particularly memorable for me. What I did love was that we can all relate to imperfect relationships and feeling down on ourselves/life. Even when we have everything we need, or success as it is defined in society, loneliness and isolation are pervasive; in fact, it is often worse when we have reached success.

The hardest thing for me to write is that I find this movie somewhat dull. I wanted to love it, and the two leads are both attractive and brilliant in their skill. It just wasn't a good Christmas-escapism kind of movie. From the drama standpoint, this would be a good flick to watch if you feel a little blue, or have been struggling to make sense of well-intentioned people that inadvertently have caused you pain.

The movie touches on the reason for his sadness, and it's something most adults will experience.

The scenery was beautiful, including the properties they used; his house is perfection. I also loved the few scenes with children in them, especially when Paul's character is fielding questions and he dotes on the adorable little girl (the fairy!). He shines with children, and it's easy to see he was being completely himself in that moment, and also with Bree and Luca (the other children in the movie).

It's possible that the movie could be improved by a little more softness from the female lead; it was hard for me to feel any chemistry at all between the two leads, and this was mainly his doing (getting significantly miffed in two scenes), but she also had a sort of 'edge'. In real life, I would never expect these two characters to really connect romantically.

Magic In Mistletoe (2023) -

I liked the strength of Lyndie Greenwood as April, and she was witty and cool too, but I am starting to get tired of Paul Campbell as a leading man. His character of disgraced writer Harrington was a knob and took far too long to mellow or redeem himself. Perhaps Paul needs to take a different role within these films now? I've noticed his name as a screenwriter, maybe that could be his place going forward?

As the film started off I certainly thought that April would have been better off with "Harry's" best friend Chris (Oliver Rice) or even Lindsay (Amy Trefry), but I supposed that the point was for Harry to be a bit temperamental. I just felt that April deserved someone easier to deal with in the first place.

The concept of trying to rebuild someone's career after a badly thought out social media comment was very relevant in a world where cancel culture is rife and nobody ever seems to consider that maybe there was something else behind it, so I thought this look from the other side was on topic to balance the scales.

I did feel that they should have just asked Harry why he made the comment in the first place and maybe given him more of a chance to explain his sudden change of heart towards the season, perhaps pushed him to open up sooner.

And I do get annoyed when people hate on Christmas because they've lost someone. You should never do that and those that you lose would never want that. It seems like the stupidest reason to me.

Despite the fact that at the start I had been concerned by Mr. Campbell's involvement it did turn out to be quite a charming story and production in the end.

It was a mostly well put together piece and I liked the fact that they actually paid out for a decent amount of extras this time.

There was a bit too much of an obsession with Cinnamon though and I was hoping that April's final outfit/costume would have been a little bit nicer. His was definitely lame.

I wouldn't necessarily rush back to watch it again, because there are some absolute Christmas Crackers out there the deserve my time more, like have you seen 'Catch Me If You Claus' (2023) or 'To All A Good Night' (2023), but I wouldn't be annoyed if I did record it again in a few years time forgetting that I'd already seen it.

6.47/10.

I know I sound like the grinch but this is the worst hallmark Christmas movie I've ever watched...my wife and I watch alot but this guy and the leading lady would never make it in the real world...he's flat and drab in acting and is way below her pay grade...no chemistry at all. Most of these movies are around 5 with an occasional 7...maybe cause I'm a guy but I watch alot of these and this one was a bomb...if the guy could be replaced with most dudes they use it actually might have a half life...and the script of getting upset with the leading lady twice proves to me he's a turkey and she needs to find a better human being.

8.0 stars.

'Magic in Mistletoe' is of a rare breed of films that really caught my attention, even though there isn't anything particularly outstanding. The whole production is above average, not a single aspect is tawdry or leaves us expecting for more than what is delivered at each precise and timely moment. The romance is spot on, not too fast, not too slow, not too much, or too little. We don't have to wade through the formulaic monotony of most Hallmark stories, but instead we are humored by a cast of characters and a production crew with something fresh. But is anything really original in 'Magic in Mistletoe'? No, not really. But what is novel is the way it's presented. Something about the method in which the leads interact somehow feels different like genuine attraction, more than a performance.

He portrays an author of bestselling Christmas fantasy novels that are based upon the town he grew up in: Mistletoe. As of late, he has been morose and somewhat of a scrooge, recently caught posting a statement about how he no longer believes in Christmas. His sullen attitude is very believable. She is his publicist, and must be a taskmaster as she attempts to resurrect his career from total devastation. What a wonderful and charismatic actress she is to bring to life a "groupie" persona, of a woman who secretly adores everything about him: his writing, his character, his faults, and his failures. But she must also control her emotions and guide him back to the focused and successful writer that he once was.

This story builds up to a wonderful ending. It's a rare gem that can gain momentum like 'Magic in Mistletoe' and leave us wanting more. I hope to see a sequel, but I don't feel it lends itself to one.