Oh Christmas Tree!

...or just nice. a film about Christmas trees. and about the people around them. not original, but comfortable. and seductive. and interesting crafted, with the image of young woman involved in the family business , the accepted homeless, the fragile love story and the sketch of Dickens-like Scrooge. without be impressive - it is only a Hallmark holiday film - it works in reasonable manner. and that is the significant good point.

Was a bit conflicted on whether to see 'Fir Crazy' (aka 'Oh Christmas Tree'), seen as part of a recent Christmas film quest started towards the end of last year and the reviewing is still ongoing and will be for a while yet. It sounded cute and heart-warming on paper and have seen a fair share of pleasant, inoffensive festive diversions recently. At the same time, it did not sound much different story-wise from other festive films, so there was the worry as to whether the film was going to feel stale and too safe.

It managed to be pretty much all of the above, indicative of me having something of a mixed view on the film (or slightly above that). It is a pleasant watch and does nothing to offend. A lot is done well here. Not much is particularly distinguished at the same time and there is not an awful lot special, so not a "head over heels in love" sort of film. While not doing anything particularly awfully, while there are flaws here other films do them a lot worse.

The good things will be started off with. The production values are pleasing on the eye, the scenery has an authentic Christmassy feel and the photography doesn't try to do too much while not being claustrophobic. The soundtrack is also suitably festive without being overpowering in volume or over-utilised.

Parts are amusing, parts are cute without being sugary and its good intentions are appreciated. There is a lot of charm here too. The characters are lacking in depth, but nobody irritates and they at least engaged. The acting is better than average, with Sarah Lancaster being an amiable lead. Colin Mochrie also makes a game effort as the "villain of the piece" and Eric Johnson likewise with the too little he has.

Now onto the negatives. The story is predictable and has nothing to set it apart, just being your standard Hallmark Christmas film. Some of it felt choppy, some dramatic transitions being abrupt. Too many of the character relationships are rushed and underdeveloped, making changes of heart too out of left field. Not just the central romance, which is particularly standard and could have done with more consistent chemistry too.

But particularly the Gary's Scrooge-like change of heart, the outcome almost feeling too out of nowhere when you don't really remember the stuff before it. Some of the dialogue can be cheesy and awkward and the ending did strike me as too convenient and too neatly wrapped up.

All in all, watchable but nothing special. 5/10

A woman in advertising finds herself unemployed and dumped on the same day. She ends up working on her family own Christmas Tree Lot after her dad can't run it and her mom must take care of him. However she has bad memories of the lot and really doesn't want to be there.

At the same time she is working the lot she looking for a new job. She also meets a man who is seems to be buying lots of trees.

This is AN ABOVE AVERAGE HALLMARK MOVIE. It is heartwarming. Its also not as cliche ridden as most of there films tend to be.

This film is about a woman who doesn't have happy memories of Christmas. Her childhood was spent on a tree lot in a New York Winter selling trees with her parents. Years later she finds herself back on the lot selling the trees for her parents after she loses her job.

Now the more things change the more they stay the same but this time she has to fight the owner of the store her tree lot is on because he thinks the lot is harming his business.

Cute story. Well meaning. Very Enjoyable.

Sarah Lancaster (as Elise) was the main character, she was in every scene and it was an enjoyable movie. The movie kept me fairly engaged the whole time. My wife did not enjoy the movie as much, but she was tired and to get the full value of the movie you had to stay alert. The best part of the movie was the story of how a couple valued their ornaments which were gotten at gift shops and how they represented times in their relationship. Elise liked this and when she received one such ornament at the end- it was perfect. I enjoyed seeing Derek McGrath as Elise dad (Dr Hebert on DOC) and loved how he would comment when Elise and her mom would talk about him like he wasn't there. Overall they did a good job and the story is taking place in New York City.