Eight Gifts of Hanukkah

Enjoyed the movie, Really likeable and relatable characters, however, like so many Hallmark movies, they cheat us out of a satisfactory ending. It's like, "If a bear s...ts in the woods and no one sees it. Did it really happen?" So if a couple kisses at the end of the movie (and they always do) and it's not noticed and reacted to by others, who cares? After watching a movie for two hours, I think we all deserve a little satisfaction. Geez!

Let's begin with by stating the movie is only casually related to Hanukkah. It is about a guy trying to win the heart of the girl he pines for, with eight thoughtful gifts. Though the idea is not really innovative, it may still work for a romantic story. Sara(h), Inbar Lavi, is quite beautiful and accomplished and Daniel is rendered pleasant by Jake Epstein's somewhat endearing goofiness. The overall result is a show that has some substance and charm. An improvement would have been to characterize a bit more the spiritual side of the Holiday. A major one could have been to give more consistency to Sara(h) 's personality. She is purported to be a bright, sensitive young woman. How credible it is that she, receiving a series of gifts, clearly highly personal and reaching her more intimate thoughts, could even consider they would come from suitors she has just met? I guess this was done in order to create more drama. Yet, how can a viewer embrace a heroine who is wonderful and clueless at the same time? Thus said, I still liked the movie enough for a passing grade.

I really enjoyed the online dating opening with Sarah going to meet online guys at a coffeeshop. Sarah is an eye doctor, she does meet one good one a top chef named Nigel. Also a client at her eye clinic also asks her out...things are looking up. If only she can get her confidence up from her breakup with Paul.

Hanukkah celebrating Sarah has been single for four months and is finally ready to try dating again. Her childhood friend, Daniel, is doing a remodel on her business and always has her back...this is where he comes in to bolster her confidence.

"I think this is my cue to remind you that he didn't deserve you."-Daniel.

"The bean counters are not just a garage band."-Sarah

The commentating on the dreidel spinning Hilarious!

This was one entire introduction to Hanukkah for Sarah's friend and Christmas celebrating business partner.

One the first day of Hanukkah Sarah receives an anonymous gift of white roses fro a secret admirer. This is followed by seven more gifts...leaving her to wonder who is sending these special gifts?

"Cardboard boxes are an unrelated medium."-Daniel.

"I'm like the Jewish Nancy Drew."-Sarah.

This is the plot where secret admirer turns out to be the dark horse best friend. Yes, it is a cliché, but, for me, it usually works. And by and large it works in this one. I liked the male lead very well. He was appealing in an average guy sort of way and conveyed his love and longing hidden behind jokey behavior towards the heroine very effectively. The female lead was OK despite her voice being very high and girlish. Also she giggled an awful lot for the mature usually poised and serious person she played. She was definitely channeling Lacey Chabert or Jen Lilley or both. I got used to it eventually, though it was distracting at first.

Life long family friend and buddy, Daniel, who is working with Sara to renovate her office, tries to woo her by sending a thoughtful meaningful gift, on each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. It starts out being fun for all concerned, but as each day goes by and she still can't figure out who her secret admirer her is he starts to feel hurt and a little disrespected. She is being distracted by two new serious suitors. And they are both very nice and very eligible. Even her ex who dumped her starts to make some moves. He is a weasel. When Daniel's best friend, amusingly played by Doron Bell, asks him why he just doesn't tell her, he says, "Now it's becoming a test. I want her to figure out it's me." As they spend more time together (he teaches her to dance, for example) Inbar Lavi as the beautiful but blind as a bat optometrist (Eye See You-not.) Sarah does a good job of showing the increasing attraction she has started to feel for her friend and being confused by it. He knows she is starting to feel something, but wants her to figure it out on her own. It's a romantic dance and is very engaging. After nearing the last days of his courtship of gifts, which honestly only he could be the giver of, he overhears her speculating on the most unlikely possibilities and doesn't even consider it might be him. He is fed up. She finally figures things out, but he has lost patience. Is it too late?

This has some corny lines and situations including an awkward Forrest Gump imitation, but I really liked it. Some of the efforts to infuse the story with Jewish culture stereotypes, and references seem a little forced, but who am I to judge? The ending, and the 8th gift was sweet and perfect.

The anonymous gift premise isn't the most common and since this is Hanukkah, the traditional activities are different from all the Christmas movies, but there is still a charity function that all the romantic interests work on.

Jake Epstein's Daniel and Inbar Lavi's Sara (spelling as per the gift cards) have great chemistry despite supposedly being just friends. I'm beginning to really appreciate Epstein who seems to bond well with his opposite whether the story is about Hanukkah or Christmas. Lavi is new to me, but I liked her almost at once.

I think the viewer knows who the sender is almost from the first gift, but it's not long in the movie before he confesses to a friend. A lot of attention is paid to his frustration that all the other male candidates are getting.