Dear Santa

The main reasons as to why Christmas has always been my favourite time of year are because it means lots of family time and reliving the nostalgia and fond memories of singing and listening to carols, watching Christmas films and animations, playing festive games and opening presents. Will never tire of it and nothing will ever change that for the world.

'Dear Santa', watched as another film seen as part of my quest to broaden my festive film horizons, is never going to be among my favourites, Christmas films and overall, falling short of being great. It is though one of the more watchable Christmas films seen recently (the general standard being very, very hit and miss) and avoids some, though not all, of the traps that other recently seen Christmas films have fallen into. Like a lot of them, there is appeal for some but others will find it a bit of a chore to sit through. For me despite its flaws, 'Dear Santa' is generally one of the better new Christmas films seen recently, if not one of the classics.

As to be expected 'Dear Santa's' story is predictable, with a lot of easily telegraphed scenes and an outcome that is obvious from the outset. Some draggy pacing here and there too, with it taking a little too long to get going.

Some of the film goes overboard on the cheese and schmaltz in the writing. It did take me time to warm to the lead character, which did happen thankfully because there was growth and it for me rang true.

Visually, 'Dear Santa' looks decent, the locations are particularly striking. The music provides some affectionate nostalgia and is pleasant to listen to, while the direction avoids being too routine. Didn't find myself irritated by the characters at least generally, found the leads quite endearing, and wasn't bored. The Christmas atmosphere is handled charmingly and affectionately and the romance is genuinely sweet and doesn't go overboard on the schmaltz.

Predictability aside, 'Dear Santa' was well-intentioned and had a difficult to dislike atmosphere and some amusing comedic moments that didn't flag or over-stretch. There is definitely a festive spirit and there is plenty of warmth and charm here, with enough parts to warm and melt the heart. Never does it feel too juvenile or mean-spirited and the sentimentality generally doesn't become too much. Jason Priestly directs surprisingly competently. The acting actually comes over very well, the cast all give likeable performances without being too broad yet still having a good deal of personality. Amy Acker, Emma Duke and Gina Holden fare strongest. The chemistry charms and entertains.

Overall, likeable and above average if nothing to be blown away by. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I recommended this movie to about a dozen people, and every single one of them loved it and watched it at least a second time. Most movies that I watched that were billed to be a Christmas movie either had a plot that had too little mention of Christmas or showed very sporadic scenery that just didn't remind you that you were actually watching a Christmas movie. Not Dear Santa, it was sprinkled throughout the movie perfectly. It is exactly what it was meant to be. A beautiful love story centered around Christmastime with great character acting and a wonderful, quick moving storyline. Romantic, cute, funny, sad, happy, covers all the emotional bases and even has a beautiful song in it, too. And don't be surprised if your eyes well up once or twice .....

Love this movie. Plot is totally predictable like 90% of every other movie in the IMDb. Widower dad adorable daughter wants Santa bring daddy new mommy spoiled rich girl finds letter to Santa yadda yadda ...

But who cares? Great execution by everyone involved. Amy Acker lights up every scene. Jason Priestly smartly keeps the camera on her most of the time. The father/daughter pair are cast perfectly and play off of each other well. The antagonist girlfriend hits just the right note. The LGBTQ character plays beyond stereotype effectively. Production values are passable. Hard to imagine a better Hallmark/Lifetime-like movie.

This isn't exactly as it states in the Storyline, they're only small points but I think critical. She doesn't find the letter to Santa it blows past her, she picks it up and calls to the person who dropped it but they've gone before she can give it back. She then opens the letter and reads it and gets the return address, she takes it back on her own accord (not for monetary gain). She's not as bad or as selfish as the Storyline makes her out. This is a good thing as it makes her more agreeable to the viewers.

Crystal is portrayed well by Amy Acker, of whom I've been a fan of since I saw her in Angel. She was the reason I watched the film, of which I'm glad as the description didn't do the film justice.

She works really well with Emma Duke who played Olivia Gowen, the daughter of the love interest Derek. These scenes are well written, acted and directed with humour, warmth, and tenderness.

There are some good bits throughout the film, though my favourite is the "Whipp-Off" where Amy Acker and Gina Holden have a baking showdown. Awesome.

You could watch this film with the family or just cuddled up with your love. Much better than I expected and I would watch again.

Great acting, great chemistry, great scenes ...... a real wonderful start to finish movie !