Weihnachten im Starlight Café

This is a very good Hallmark Christmas movie; it is one of the best thus far this 2020 season. The plot, of course, was quite predictable: I knew the ending already 10 minutes in after the scene at the coffee stand where the leads make a deal. However, to be fair, most people watching Hallmark films are not in it for unpredictability. I think, what is most important is whether the film pulls you in, engages you. This one pulled me from the start. I wonder if the writer was at all influenced by the film Two Weeks Notice (starring Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock), as this film reminded me a little of that one. The script, I thought, was well-written, especially the dialogue, the banter between the two leads. It was fun, cute and touching. Regarding the latter, I especially enjoyed the scenes with the gift Annie gave William and the one near the end where they have their first kiss (Annie's response to William here was touching, I thought). Overall, the acting was great. Kimberley Sustad's performance as Annie was impressive; for example, she did an excellent job with her dialogue (her banter) with William (played by Paul Campbell). Campbell had a good performance as well. I typically enjoy his Hallmark movies. The chemistry between the two was good but not great, not as good as the leads in, e.g., The Angel Tree (another very good Hallmark film this Christmas) or Lifetime's A Welcome Home Christmas. That said, the banter between the two was excellent. The supporting cast also had a good performance. Darren Martens had a strong performance in the role of Lyle. Finally, the scenery, props, and sets were all well-polished and quite festive. I did not notice any, e.g., fake snow in this one. Overall, this is a very entertaining Christmas movie, a nice new edition to Hallmark's 2020 movie lineup/collection.

Though this is a Christmas-centric film, it keeps the focus on the central relationship. Like many Hallmark holiday romances, the inevitable resolution can be anticipated early on, but this film has a good energy, driven mainly by Kimberley Sustad's personality. She teamed up with costar Paul Campbell in writing this film, which may explain why they fit so naturally into their roles.

Kimberley plays Annie Park, a Chicago lawyer specializing in family law. When she discovers that her family's restaurant will be demolished to make way for a high-rise, she decides to confront the developer, Holt Enterprises. When she meets the son of the owner---Paul Campbell as William Holt---he hires her for a couple weeks just to assuage his father, who feels that William must constantly be monitored due to his irresponsibility. William promises to save the family restaurant in return, but can he deliver? Will he?

"Christmas by Starlight" is filled with the usual Hallmark touches, like abundant decorations, but it does not rely too heavily on the holiday schmaltz, allowing the character development to be its main focus, which is nice.

The entire cast is enjoyable, so it feels like spending two hours with a group of friends.

The best dialog of any of the Hallmark movies. Reminds me of snappy repertoire from the old classic movies. Good job writers and lead actors.

I like it for the crumbs of humor, nice acting, for fair portrait of maturization and the accent to family history and values. For the fresh ingenuity of story, to. And, not the last, for leading characters, well crafted, wise used. To be honest, exactly the honesty remains the main virtue of this different, in some measure, in inspired way, Hallmark film. Nothing fundamental changed but the story is more rich in nuances than you expect. So, I admitt, I like it.

So I like a good Christmas Hallmark movie, but let's be honest, I usually roll my eyes at least a dozen times. Between the cheesy banter and predictable plots, most of my laughter is ironic at best. Not so with this flick. I genuinely laughed a handful of times, and though you could see what was coming plot-wise, it warmed this cynic's heart. I really enjoyed the two main characters, and would definitely re-watch this film!