medormer

This badly plotted/written and lamely acted movie is SO symptomatic of Hallmark's current Christmas movie offerings, being not just utterly predictable (okay, they always have been!) but also totally lacking in fun and the sparkle of the season. Everything these days has to be so serious, with flawed leading characters grappling with problems which are then solved simplistically in the last five minutes after the most contrived of crises.

Whatever happened to a good, simple story told without resorting to in-your-face moralising and cheesy philosophy of life quips? When did humor and a light touch get completely thrown out the window? To see what I'm getting at, watch the 2008 film "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with Henry Winkler. That is what Hallmark did back in the early days, i.e. Great straightforward tales told with wit, nothing too heavy and a touch of Christmas magic.

This thinly disguised remake of the 2011 Hallmark film "Holly's Holiday" gives a Jewish AND gender twist to the Pygmalion story, and manages to mangle every aspect of it despite some deft humor. It has an edgier feel than most Hallmark offerings in places, but completely blows it with one of the stupidest, most unbelievable, badly staged endings in Hallmark history. When will Hallmark learn that the public airing of the romantic finale in front of a fawning audience is a real turn off? No doubt die hard fans of the channel will laud it to the skies, but more sane observers will wonder why they watched it at all.

An early Hallmark movie, and a lot of fun it is too. A different plotline, with a solid, often humorous script, and a standout performance from the male lead make this very watchable - more than can be said for most Hallmark fare. Along with The Dating Coach, it's one of their few movies to show that decent films can be made on a low budget.