Mein Fake Date

A clever plot with lots of twists and good humorous lines. Also meaningful character growth. A little different from the usual Christmas movie. Most enjoyable. Also satisfying to watch.

Enjoyable and its always fun to see mutual interests grow to friendship, especially at Christmas.. the most stressful season! The film takes us on an original premise, a promise, to watch strangers reveal how they came to be where they are today... and how they can help each other resolve issues, and take pleasure in seeing it unfold. Isn't that the Christmas spirit?

Oh, there are definite production problems along the way... the extras working in the film are so bad, its distracting beyond belief -- particularly in the food court, and the snow man building contest. The fake snow is also very annoying. But the main characters do keep your attention. Sarah Smyth, as Ashley, was particularly believable.

You want to believe that it's a wonderful life... including for a lawyer and a travel shop operator. Miracles... and good people... can live Christmas every day of the year.

Now, it's time to read the book.

A lot of these Christmas movies are terribly similar but this one is a little different. I feel for their annoyance at the relentless Christmas caroling and songs. A divorce lawyer and a travel exec both don't like Christmas so they come to an arrangement to help each other through the holidays and to help career wise for him and personally for her. Likeable cast includes Luke a MacFarlane and Jamie King. The story gets a little thin by the end.

This particular Hallmark movie is a cut above the rest. It is well directed, well cast, well acted and well written ... It's a unique premise, from a book I believe, and it's a delight to have something very different to watch unfold for a change. All the characters are very likable and there's a sweet chemistry between the two lead actors that makes them even more believable. The storyline and the couples' interactions aren't forced (as they so often are in a Hallmark movie)... and while they try to stay true to their "Promise" they don't seem pressured to perform a "dating" dance that would take them beyond its limits so it all feels very real. Two people, unable to enjoy Christmas for their own reasons, meet and form a contract (a Promise) to help each other get through the difficult holiday period and each help the other achieve their goal. I really enjoy Hallmark movies but lately their themes have been getting extremely repetitive and the characters and interactions predictable. Not this one ... I really wasn't sure how it was going to work out in the end and I cared. It does seem mandatory that "figgy pudding" is mentioned or sung about in every Hallmark Christmas movie and, in this one aspect, The Mistletoe Promise is no exception. Otherwise it truly is and well worth watching.

The book is a great one, but this review is going to come from somebody who is going to judge 'The Mistletoe Promise' on its own terms rather than a constant book to film comparison. The concept sounds familiar and the title is slightly corny yet sweet, but Hallmark have showed more than once that they are capable of making above average festive films in a very hit and miss bunch. Luke Macfarlane is often very watchable and no stranger to Hallmark.

Seeing 'The Mistletoe Promise' is a very loose adaptation of the book, which will disappoint (and has disappointed) fans of the book, but it is far from a bad film on its own. 2016 was inconsistent in quality for Hallmark and 'The Mistletoe Promise' is one of the better efforts in my personal opinion. Anybody that loves Christmas and wants a pleasant inoffensive distraction on a dull afternoon may find it likeable enough and while not great it's nice enough.

Editing is on the rushed side in places. The story can be slow and too thin, as well as contrived, in spots, and the characters are sketchy in development. This tends to be a common Hallmark problem so that was not unexpected.

Likewise with the music tending to be too intrusive. Have found more than once with Hallmark that their soundtracks are on the too intrusive and too constant side. Still find that the case here, though there have been worse cases before and since.

Mcfarlane as said has always been watchable and he proves that in his charismatic and subtle performance here. Jaime King tries a little too hard in places but is mostly charming and the chemistry between the two of them never comes over as awkward or dull. They are very sweet and sincere together. Despite the characters being quite sketchy, the supporting cast all do a good job. The direction is sympathetic yet alert enough.

Visually, 'The Mistletoe Promise' is good looking. It's beautifully photographed and the scenery is quite captivating. The dialogue flows better and more naturally than the dialogue in most Hallmark films and doesn't fall as much into cheese and soap. The story is very light-hearted and really warms the heart, despite its predictability and other things, any character changes actually not coming out of the blue or feeling hasty and the music doesn't too overscored. The lead characters grow and aren't too perfect or have negative character traits exaggerated too much.

Concluding, not great but above average. 7/10