Christmas Made to Order

Very Christmas cliché movie, but very good for spending time without stressed ones.

It's a feel good movie but it would have been better with a different leading couple. The leading lady looked like she tried too hard to be likeable and always seemed to have just come out of the hairdresser's. I would have liked something more natural and laid back. Also I didn't feel any real spark between her and the leading guy.

I watched this movie expecting it to be better based on the rating here, however, I was unpleasantly surprised. The main problem for me was the leading lady, she felt like "acting nice" and her facial expressions were cringy. No chemistry between her and the leading man as well. I couldn't bother finishing it.

The theme of follow your dream is a drum beaten pretty loudly in this movie.

The story premise of a bachelor hiring a Christmas decorator/planner isn't unique but it works out in this movie. Interesting climax too.

Alexa PenaVega is a lot of fun in this movie. I like optimistic characters and she's all that here. But I'm not so sure that her acting comes off as natural. Likewise Jonathan Bennett for acting. It's not that either one is bad, but sometimes a shot or a line just doesn't seem right.

I recently noticed (too late, I fear) that Hallmark likes throwing in Easter eggs this year (little surprise treasures for the observant viewer). In this one, watch for a photograph of PenaVega and a special someone.

The whole film I was about to say "Aaron Samuels I like your hair pushed back". Well If seriously the acting here is below the expected level. I like both Alexa and Jonathan, but there was no chemistry between them. Maybe it's because of the poor script maybe they were told to act like that. Its all a history now. It's not a bad film to watch while you're cooking dinner. Could have been better.