El secreto de Papá Noel

The movie was charming and had its moments. But I'm so sick and tired of being fed those uneven relationships as aspirational.

A broke single mum resolves all her life problems by meeting a billionaire. Is that really the spirit of Christmas that we want to watch?

Even her brother and his partner are making plans for how they are going to benefit by the connection to the wealthy guy.

This is not romance; this is dowry marriage. And we know how those play out.

Former rock singer Taylor Jacobsen does her best as a single mum, but when she loses her job, the only way to get her daughter into a skiing camp is to don the red suit and work as Santa Claus.

I'm not exactly known for my love of Christmas films, so it takes a fair bit for me not to bring out the festive chopping blade. That said, this one is actually pretty good.

You know precisely what's coming within ten or fifteen minutes. The setup and characters mean the script more or less writes itself, and it plays out exactly as you expect - but that's part of the charm. It's goofy, it's sentimental, but it never force feeds you warming cinnamon-sugar nonsense every two minutes.

Taylor feels like a real person. Yes, she inevitably falls for the bearded, rich chap with immaculate hair, but she's also someone who's known hardship and understands what it is to struggle. That gives the whole thing a bit more grounding than most films in this mould.

Don't take it too seriously or you'll lose patience, but if you're willing to accept ninety minutes of fluffy festive comfort - think 'Mrs. Doubtfire' in reverse - it's surprisingly engaging. Ryan Eggold and Tia Mowry are both very good, but Alexandra Breckenridge steals it; the role is undeniably daft, yet she keeps it anchored.

'Nice' may not be the strongest adjective these days, but here it fits. A film that's rich, wholesome, and simply... nice.

7/10.

Was ok,nothing original & rather clichéd. Also plothole regarding a discount for the daughter,as mom lied for employment.

Have seen this type storyline including but not,limited to Mrs. Doubtfire or Christmas at Cartwright's.

Wasn't full of laughs or anything,didn't feel really holiday spirited considering.

Actors to acting was fine,cinematography decent.

Not something will rewatch,but does pass time if bored.

Remember Falling for Christmas? The 2022 Netflix movie with Lindsay Lohan, which was pretty much a Christmas remake of the 1987 rom-com Overboard (starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell)? Well, they did it again. They took another old comedy movie and added Christmas to it.

The movie this time is Mrs. Doubtfire, Chris Columbus' 1993 comedy, in which Robin Williams disguised himself as an elderly nanny in order to be able to spend time with his children. That movie was actually based on a book, but that's not the point. The point is-like I said, they did it again. They took Mrs. Doubtfire... And now it's a Christmas movie, exactly like in Falling for Christmas. And it both works AND doesn't work for the exact same reasons.

It's hard not to see My Secret Santa as a rip-off. The old formula, while not aging terribly, feels pretty cringey nowadays, etc. But at the exact same time, there was a good reason why Mrs. Doubtfire was a hit. The cast is likable, and, exactly like in Falling for Christmas, the Christmas magic does the trick.

So yeah. My Secret Santa, while not being a must-see, is actually pretty nice. It's a pretty old-school thing with a heartwarming aftertaste, and personally, I think that's exactly what most of us want from a Christmas movie. It just works. Just make sure not to expect too much, because at the end of the day, it IS another "Christmas rip-off."

Yeah, this is an old trope, and Mrs. Doubtfire not even reimagined but simply Christmasified, but I love a holiday goof. Maybe it's the Christmas spirit. A single mom, Taylor, who is played by the absolutely dashingly gorgeous Alexandra Breckenridge, is broke and finds herself donning and doffing Santa costumes and event dresses while madly falling for the rich and handsome Matthew Layne, portrayed by Ryan Eggold. Cute children, wholesome moments, outrageously bad comedy that I found funny, an endearing gay brother, and a Santa so good he almost turned Layne bi.

Not for everyone, but I love this type of shi. Ho, ho, ho!