The Christmas Cabin

Sometimes story lines dont give actors a lot to work with, well anyone can name a few movies that were duds. for a hallmark movie, this plot isnt terribly unique or brilliant but it had potential to actually be entertaining. the scenario has been done successfully before. Condo or duplex or vacay home double booked and 2 separate parties have to share space and at least there is good chemistry so it works. The only way I stick out a movie that is painful in the beginning is if the story is slow to start or develop. If the acting is deplorable, nay embarrassingly awful to watch, it's not possible. I kept stopping the movie to get a drink or go do something else. let me say there is nothing wrong with a good person having a dark side. Showing complexity or well rounded character is not the same as being 100 percent snarky terse flat for 25 minutes and then doing a complete 180 and being hospitable hostess. the problem is she did both so poorly neither was believable and male lead is just as bad. Even at Hallmark face value this is not watchable.

The premise - two people with conflicting interests stuck together in a cabin in the mountains - sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat. There's no chemistry between the leads, and the woman character overreacted in almost every situation and was just plain annoying. And the actress wasn't any better. Since about 90% of the screentime, it's just the leads, it was kinda painful to watch.

This movie should be a wonderful addition to the seasonal lineup.

The script is no worse than many. It has all the necessary elements: a handsom, driven businessman, a fit and pretty woman, incredible mountain scenery, enforced isolation, and a legal situation guaranteed to produce very real conflict.

Sadly, the actors were stiff, the dialogue trite, and the deep conflict at the heart of the story just flattened out under the combination of the two. These two actors simply aren't leading-light quality at this point in their careers.

Lesson all filmmakers should know from the time they pick up their first camera: if there are only two people in a the majority of scenes in a movie, they need to have very strong acting skills to carry the emotional arc through every moment, whether they're speaking, reacting, or just walking across a room.

Don't bother. It's not worth it. Incredibly bad acting. Even the plot is bad Only good thing: the photography. If you like cabins in the woods, snow, this is your movie.

Ok, so all these Christmas movies are predictable and full of acting hopefuls, right? And come November there is a need to saturate the airways and streaming services because some people like to play these movies 24/7 for the season. I can't say as my expectations are all that high, but at the same time, it is insulting they're not even trying. No one is trying to make a classic, no one seems to care if you ever watch the movie again, which is evident in the lame, plotless 90 minutes (I need to go, ok I won't, ok I will, ok I won't, end movie). No one cares to create a setting that's coherent with the story (i.e. this literally brand new cabin their greats supposedly built a hundred years ago (or so)). No action, no drama, and of course the actors aren't really tv-movie ready. Eh, it's something to play in the background while you bake, but no need to pause while you use the restroom.