Christmas in the Air

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

In this film

Lydia, a successful professional organizer, is constantly trying to grow her business, but even her ambition takes a back seat to love when she meets Robert, a frazzled widower with two young children who happens to be a toy inventor, who must come up in 12 days a new toy that will save his company. However both Lydia & Robert bring out the best in each other. You know how this film will end but the films charming leads make you forget.

It has all the pieces of a Hallmark Christmas film.challenges, romance, kids, the him and her, humor and ... Eric Close. so, ideal choice for winter holiday period. but, few problebs are enough for be obstacles to the complete joy. the chemistry between Catherine Bell and Eric Close is missing. the children are great but the script is thin. the predactibility is not surprising but it seems be only link for entire script. and the love story is too...cold. but, after the final credits, it could be defined as nice movie. and this is the only significant thing, in fact.

If you have seen your fair share of Hallmark Christmas films, like me as a big fan of the holiday, it would be safe to say that you are very likely to know what to expect and one shouldn't expect any more. Have always watched the Hallmark Christmas films, which have been many over the past few years and especially at the end of last year, with mixed expectations. That are either met and even exceeded, or the film completely misses the mark and does little with any potential.

'Christmas in the Air' was more or less what was expected. It didn't exceed expectations, but it is a long way from a waste of potential. Instead it sounded like potentially it would be a pleasant enough diversion with a number of good things and a few big drawbacks, and 'Christmas in the Air' turned out to be pretty much exactly that. Not one of Hallmark's best by any stretch but also a long way from their worst as well. 2017 was an inconsistent year for them, this is somewhere in the middle.

There are many good things here. The production values are very pleasing to look at, nice use of locations slickly shot. The music generally captures the Christmas feel very well and is not near as over-scored or intrusive as too many of a lot of Hallmark films. The script can be very corny, but mostly flows nicely and has a light-hearted and sweet tone without being too sugary sweet. It's sympathetically directed without being routine. Eric Close is full of lively energy and charm. The younger actors are a delight.

While the story isn't perfect, exceptional and is derivative, it is charming, is light on its feet and is heart-warming with nice use of the festive setting. It doesn't take itself too seriously that it becomes too dreary, while not treating things as too much of a joke at the same time. 'Christmas in the Air' has characters that are likeable, with lead characters that are not annoying or stiff like they are in other Hallmark Christmas films.

However, Catherine Bell left me mixed. There are times where she does indeed have a demure sweetness, but there are other times where she comes over as too low key in a role that needed more spark than what she gave. Do have to agree that she and Close didn't have enough chemistry together, it was quite dull and emotionally it was quite cold and didn't do very far.

Like a lot of Hallmark films, 'Christmas in the Air' is admittedly very predictable with an easily foreseeable and too neat ending and moments of mundane pacing, so the story did feel tired in spots. While the music is not too bad generally, it could have been used less too and been less noisy. Some of the dialogue is as said very corny and a little too sweet.

Overall, not bad. 6/10

I watch all types of TV shows and I count on Hallmark to produce quality 'escapist' material. Anyone who tunes into the Hallmark Channel should expect wholesome love stories and mysteries that are absent of gore & perversity and this formula works for a lot of viewers. Even though the scripts lack the unique wit of British television shows, the fictional stories are a relief to watch because they eschew the coarseness, profanity, and general lack of intelligence & good role models so prevalent on American TV.

Christmas in the Air is a good example of Hallmark standards - a gentle love story surrounding a couple who are a case of opposites attracting. Robert and Lydia have unusual professions that are an enjoyable element in this story, normal values, the usual frustrations of modern life, with the added dimension of a single father of two kids. As the widower, Eric Close gets to play a frenzied father who really wants to be there for his kids and we viewers are spared any overly sorrowful moments. Catherine Bell never disappoints as the demurely sensuous yet down to earth beauty who easily commands the lead female role. The predictability of these types of movies is not a negative. In fact, I consider them encouraging and comforting in this day and age.

Undemanding, predictable snooze-fest with two leads with zero-chemistry.

If a man has to hire a professional organiser in order to secure a client contract perhaps it's time he found a new career/day job/business etc.