Hats Off To Christmas (2013) -
Who keeps giving Haylie Duff work, I don't like to be mean and this wasn't her worst film by a long shot, but once again she played her character, Mia, as if everything in her life was so hard and she deserved all the pity in the world.
Antonio Cupo was obviously hot and looked like he had a fantastic bottom, but he was not a nice character at all to start with. His change of heart was a bit hard to believe as well and definitely seemed very convenient, almost as if he was working an angle, but he didn't appear to want Mia.
I didn't think that he would have mellowed so quickly and certainly not from the attention she was giving him, which was quite brusque to say the least. He actually seemed more keen to spend time with her son (Check the registers), but he was also the one to make the efforts towards her, while she didn't show any interest at all, because she was so wrapped up in her own head.
Antonio bore some strong similarities to Brendan Penny, but Mr. P would always win for me and has always delivered his characters with more ease, although Cupo as Nick may have been a victim of the direction or a bad script, as indicated by the complicated way he came across.
The leading pair just weren't right for each other and there was no chemistry between them, except that he got on with the kid, Scotty (Sean Michael Kurt), who was not a good actor. I wasn't convinced that he really had bad legs. I can't stand these actors that don't put in the effort. I'm sure someone would have actually broken them for him.
The film as a whole was incredibly twee and a tad saccharine. There was a lot that was unbelievable as a result of that and I think that the script was a bit too basic and the story a bit too forced. For instance, when Valerie suddenly had a moment that was totally uncharacteristic.
Also, there was no way a business that just sold Santa Hats would survive without an online presence and it wouldn't need such a huge factory and office to supply and run it. There was a lot that was unexplained or just not thought about.
And aren't soapbox cars supposed to be made of old parts and, um I don't know, Soap Boxes? The car that Nick built with Scotty was basically a mahogany chariot with all mod cons and a walnut dashboard.
Needless to say that there were some issues with this film. It was sweet and sort of Christmassy, but without the effort that has been put in to them more recently. Not one that will be going on my list to watch again.
3.75/10.
