7.1 stars.
If you like Eloise Mumford you will like this movie. If you love her, you will love this movie. If you don't, you won't. That's all you need to know about 'Just in Time for Christmas'.
I happen to like her, not fully in love with her, and she does her best in this, in spite of a flawed script. I've seen her in other shows and movies, and there is something desirous about her warmth and of her smile (of course what's not to love about her smile, one of the best in the business). In contrast, she can be vexing from time to time. I have difficulty with the shrill screams and giggles throughout. Her voice has a way of piercing the auditory array and disrupting your serenity. Outside of that, I enjoy her as an actress in this film.
The male lead is good, although he seems a bit less masculine than most male leads in Hallmark movies to date. I get that he is suave in his own original way, which was endearing for the ladies, I'm sure. In this movie, I don't believe he is developed enough as a character. We as an audience don't get the opportunity to get acquainted with the man who has so monumentally captured her heart. They got the script wrong when they left him under-developed. We need another 10 minutes in the beginning to get to know him better, maybe see them interact more, see what makes him tick, see all the good sides of his personality, and what she loves about him.
The rest of the movie, save the very end, is mundane for me, although it was sufficient to hold my attention for the journey. The confusion, memory loss, her dream job, which constitute a large proportion of the film, are poorly coordinated, and over-embellished.
The SAVING GRACE is that the end is spectacular, one of the best finales that I've seen in a Hallmark movie to date. It really is in my top 5. Did they wrap this up brilliantly - yes. Did they develop the in between parts of the movie so we could enjoy the end even more - negatory.
