An Ice Palace Romance

Yes folks another Hallmark plot to save something, in the past they've saved a wine business, a farm, a restaurant, a micro brewery, and even Christmas! This time the story involves SAVING AN ICE PALACE, (which is actually a skating rink and center of the small town festivities, "palace" makes it sound more important) Journalist, Lori, played by Celeste Desjardins faces her fears regarding a skating incident that happened from her past, and returns to her hometown to do a story. She meets the ice rink owner, Mark, played by Marcus Rosner, who is attempting to save the rink from greedy developers. All the while this is going on, there's a subplot where Lori also helps Mark's young daughter,Zoe, to try to realize her skating dreams, as Lori reflects on her own life. The movie is very predictable but the chemistry between Mark and Lori captures your attention. And Marc Rosner is one of my favorite actors and he's hot, hot, hot! It's just another pleasant "guilty pleasure" movie from Hallmark.

I was hoping HM would stay on the new course of producing better movies and diff storylines. Obviously it didn't happen with this Tty rob com if you can call it that And please can the male lead ever comb his hair. What gives with the hairstylists for HM? The leads have no chemistry and the best actor was the major. She was the most believable.

I don't understand why HM keeps producing these tired stories and use leads that have no chemistry.

It's like they don't care for their audience I don't expect Oscar nominated movies but at least a three star showing. This by far is my most Cristal review I have ever written but HM has to step up their game or say good bye.

Celeste Desjardins ruins this entire movie with the constant fake smiling and botox face all the way through the film accompanied by the fake voice. She can barely move any of her face.......

At 27 why does she need botox or is she really 37 or 47 and faking her age too? Just don't get it...... such a pretty talented girl does not need all this fakery.........

Shannon McDonough was fun and real as the local photographer sussing out all the false motives for a new money-making plan.

Julia Dyan as the sister had potential. The stereotypical gay best-friend was just plain annoying.

Please just bring us some lovely skating instead of this fiasco!

"An Ice Palace Romance (2023)" skates just above thin ice, managing to deliver a lukewarm blend of predictability and charm. The film follows the well-trodden path of a big-city journalist, Emma, who returns to her quaint hometown only to face her childhood fears and, of course, a dormant love for ice skating. The plot, as cozy and predictable as a pair of old mittens, offers few surprises. It's the cinematic equivalent of a comfort food dish - not particularly exciting, but satisfying in its own right.

The saving grace of the film lies in its heartwarming dynamics between Lori, the rink owner Mark, and his precociously adorable daughter, Zoe. Their chemistry is as smooth as a freshly Zambonied ice surface. Mark, with his rugged charm and dad jokes, brings a lightness to the story, while Zoe's earnest enthusiasm for skating and matchmaking adds a sparkle of joy. However, the film's reliance on clichés feels as rehearsed as a figure skating routine.

In conclusion, "An Ice Palace Romance" is the kind of film you watch while wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and not expecting any cinematic revolutions. It's a feel-good movie that skates by on its charm and the sheer predictability of its plot. It doesn't aim for a triple axel of storytelling and settles for a steady glide. It's a three-star film - not because it's exceptional, but because it's comfortably okay, like a familiar pair of skates that have seen better days but still fit just right.

This movie wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but oh, the model of the new ultra-modern building at the architectural firm truly stole the show. The quaint town, in a desperate bid to revamp their cozy downtown, decided to go full dystopian. They commissioned a high-rise that was the epitome of bleak - a gray, windowless monolith that could easily be mistaken for a gigantic parking garage.

The town planners, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the roof of this dreary edifice would be the town's new social hotspot. Because obviously, when you think of lively gatherings, a parking garage rooftop springs to mind.

And then, as if this architectural wonder wasn't already a marvel, the planners added another 10 stories of 'residential space' above. These living quarters were so laughably small, residents could barely fit inside. One might stand there, sandwiched between the walls, staring out into the void, thinking, "Why do I live here? My 'apartment' can't even fit a bed, and I have to limbo dance just to get through the door."

In this movie, the building model wasn't just a structure; it was a bold statement on the absurdity of modern urban planning, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the lengths we go to in the name of progress.