Jolly Good Christmas

So, they churn out forty movies a season. There will be a handful that are surprisingly good, a few that are god-awful bad and a bunch in the middle that one will forget an hour later.

This one is, I am pleased to say, not only one of the best ones of the season but one of the best ones I have seen. Yes, if you have seen at least three Hallmark movies previously, you will know how certain plot points will play out. But, this one has very clever dialogue throughout and its British setting cannot help but to give it a touch of class. The two leads are, simply, excellent, doing feature-quality work on a tight, TV movie timeline. They both look beautiful, separately and together and have wonderful chemistry. They really seem to be having a great time with the playful, sometimes even farcical plot as the audience gets to go along on their madcap adventure.

This is a pattern proven by two previous movies I can think of set in a foreign locales, "Christmas in Rome" and "Christmas in Vienna" where footage of the European city's actual Christmas decor makes the movie part travelogue. This is certainly refreshing after seeing two dozen or so "Christmas in My Hometown" movies where, let us face it, the "tinsel in every shot, DAMMIT" policy can get a bit tiring.

Again, it is not as if the Ten Hallmark Movie Tropes are not present. However, they are camouflaged by a superior production with a very talented cast and the effect is far more "rom-com" than sentimental and gooey.

Will Kemp is usually good but this movie he suffered from BadAccentitis. I found myself parroting the phrases or words that sounded really ridiculous. Was the accent New Yorker or Southern? I have no idea. I would have been very happy to have both leads be British. He could have been British born, states raised and now returned. Whatever I'm hyper focusing.

Overall, the movie is pleasant. Other than the fake accent, I like both leads. Love the London Christmas setting, it makes up for fact that there are only like 5 characters total. I'm happy we saw a little dancing from Mr. Kemp, but I was hoping for a waltz.

I enjoyed the more sophisticated plot and atmosphere of this as opposed to the small town v. City life plus festival. I loved the London setting. Although the plot was certainly not original, it almost was. I liked both characters and the actors portrayals of each. The chemistry between them really sizzled. And it was romantic rather than friendly as is all too common with Hallmark.

An American architect working in London has got himself almost engaged to the bosses daughter. He goes with a gift card for a Christmas Present, it is a big red flag. When a professional gift buyer mocks him for it, he decides to hire her to pick out the perfect gift for his girlfriend. They have shopping adventures all around London and as they get to know each other, they fall in love. He learns the value of family and Christmas blah blah blah. And she learns love is the perfect gift.

I remember Reshma Shetty from Royal Pains, and she was great in this. Will Kemp was just as charming. Good mix of romance with professional drama. I loved the small dose of Indian family life and culture as well. Definitely a Winner.

How sad that the wonderful, attractive and so talented Will Kemp was so mis-used in this film. The story was clever, sweet, and adorable! The views of London were thrilling, and the young woman lead actress was beautiful and charming and quite a good actress.

All that said, my only focus has to be on how poorly Will Kemp was portrayed in this romantic story. Will is a ballet dancer. He has phenomenal physical grace and presence. He moves, he holds his body, his head in the most classic and lovely manner. To have him portrayed here as an American with almost a ridiculous script to follow, was a sheer waste, and almost an insult to this very lovely, talented man.

The phony American accent he had to use was so distracting, and so poorly pronounced, it was painful to watch him go through that script. Why could he simply not have been British?

I wonder if the Hallmark actors have any input or say into the characters they portray. If Will Kemp is simply under contract and has to do what he is "assigned" to do, poor fellow. This was so far beneath his skill set and his lovely personal image.

All that aside, this was a charming story. The young woman lead was perfect in every scene. Kudos also to the actors portraying her parents.

The only problem with all of it was the poor use, the sheer mis-use of the wonderful Will Kemp. Next movie, please, some dignity for this lovely man, and maybe even some dancing. He is a phenomenal as a dancer and an actor. Look back at Royal Matchmaker.

Hallmark, let's be a bit more kind to him. When such stunning grace and talent is available, why not use to the fullest and show us what you've got?

Overall, I found this movie charming. I love the gorgeous and very likeable Will Kemp, and Reshma Shetty is beautiful. Her character in this movie was quite natural and relatable, and I thought the chemistry between the two was great. It was easy to see how love could grow between these two,

The trouble I had, which constantly distracted me, was that poor Will Kemp was really struggling with the American accent. (He is British.) I'm not sure if his character was supposed to have been a New Yorker, born and bred, but he often sounded as if he came from the most "flat 'a'" regions of Minnesota.

The accent was really a little bit all over the place, but not only that - The character's speech was simply written strangely, as if the writer was doing his best to imagine how an "American guy" might speak.

I've noticed that Australians seem to understand us Americans, our activities and our speech patterns pretty well. The British and Canadians, however, seem to think American males are all cowboys, hayseeds or frat boys, and overly casual even in the most formal situations.

Just as an example, when the Will Kemp character meets the female lead's parents and they ask if he is an architect, he replies, "Uh-huh." They ask him another related question and he again says, "Uh-huh." !!! In my world, a man who has attained the level of education of a successful architect would not be uncouth! When speaking with an older couple he had just met, he would reply with, "Yes, I am," - or even "Yes, Sir," especially if he's from the American South - but never "uh-huh!"

In another scene, he meets a man who is going to interview him, and when the man says, "Hello," the Will Kemp character actually replies "Hey." What??!! The writer must think we Americans are inclined to just throw our jackets over a chair, take our shoes off and pop open a beer, no matter what the setting or situation.

Mr. Kemp also seemed to have some trouble simply moving as an American man would normally move...which is "normally!" We don't really wag our heads around or walk differently from the Brits or anyone else.

Before I lay all this on Will Kemp, I have to note that it might have been the director forcing him into some of this.

(I was an amateur stage actress for decades, and the director can make or break you, and has the power to make you look and feel foolish. As much as you might plead, "I don't think the character would ever do this," what the director says usually goes. I had many great directors whose direction I trusted completely, though. I'm just speculating. Hate to blame Will if it's not his fault!)

Aside from these annoyances, it really is a pretty good movie. I got to see a lot of scenic London, and as I mentioned, there was a sweet chemistry between the two leads. Did I mention Will Kemp is gorgeous? (Ha! Sorry. Couldn't help it.)