L'Étrange Noël de Lauren

Really nice and unpretentious Christmas romance. No convoluted "problems" with the love interests, for a change.

I like the fact that they made a movie that's just cheerful fun. It's a made-for-TV movie, and as such the little niggles like sunny dawns in wintery Alaska, snow that's not entirely convincing here&there (but thankfully none of that horrible "foam snow" they often use) didn't bother me to much.

The actors are adequate, but sometimes too sitcom-ish. Though, it has to be said that theater veteran Kendra Mylnechuk as the busy, joyous nurse Billie really jumps out.

The Utah locations are nice, but to me don't look a whole lot like Alaska. Still, as a background it was good enough for me.

It's just, basically, a movie with a wholesome, upbeat and positive vibe. Fitting for Christmas.

San Francisco doctor Candace Cameron Bure reluctantly takes a job in a small town in Alaska as she waits to hear about the fellowship in Boston she wants. This is a woman with her life all planned out. She doesn't want to stray from that plan but, of course, she finds that she has to in order to truly be happy. That's the moral of this story and, yes, it seems awfully familiar if you've seen other made-for-TV romantic comedies and dramas Candace has done. The big city doctor who learns life lessons working in a small town (Finding Normal). The guy she falls for doesn't want to take over the family business (Let It Snow). There are other similarities to movies she's done (particularly Finding Normal) but, you know, it really doesn't hurt anything. It's a fun, sentimental movie. It doesn't challenge you but that's okay. I enjoyed watching it and that's all that really matters.

As with all of her TV movies, Candace's likability and personality is the primary selling point. She's also very pretty, which doesn't hurt. I don't think the red hair is the right fit for her but it wasn't too distracting. At first glance, I wasn't sold on David O'Donnell. So often in these TV movies the male lead is weak compared to the female lead. But he's actually charming and appealing. For the most part the characters are all nice and pleasant but a couple of them did annoy me. Candace's mom is well-intentioned but pushy and the lady who runs the coffee shop is kind of obnoxious. The subplot romance between the nurse and the florist's son is very cute and adorable. The standout in the supporting cast is the great Brian Doyle-Murray. I won't spoil his character's twist but let's just say if you're a cynic, you'll projectile vomit all over the screen. I got a kick out of it though. Corny as all-get-out but I had a big stupid grin on my face so it worked on me. If you like Candace Cameron Bure, you'll surely like this. It's one of her best movies yet. That it's a Christmas movie just makes it that much more enjoyable.

Candace Cameron Bure is a doctor who wants the same fellowship in Boston that her father had. When she doesn't get it, she needs a job and winds up in Alaska running through the standard Hallmark Christmas Romantic comedy tropes.

If what you're looking for is those standard tropes played engagingly, you'll find them here. Miss Bure is pretty and speaks her lines well; David O'Donnell is a competent juvenile; Brian Doyle-Murray is a fine Santa-like supporting player; Kendra Mylnechuk has the best performance as a hyper-competent nurse.

However, there's nothing in the script that isn't interchangeable with most of Hallmark's rote romcoms. It's so unengaging -- because you know exactly what is going to happen next -- that you have time to contemplate the production errors that make it clear that this wasn't shot in Alaska, once you get past the beautiful setting shots. Every morning Miss Bure awakens at 6:30 to a sun high in the sky in an Alaska December. The grass is bright green and you can see some weedy young maples wearing their summer leaves in town. Finally, in a town so remote that Amazon.com won't ship there, there is no trouble for the local florist (?!) to come up with a dozen perfect roses for the leading man to give to the leading lady on the spur of the moment.

I begin watching these Hallmark seasonal romantic comedies intending to give them easy marks. They seem pitched at a very undemanding audience and the actors invariably try their best. However, if the people in charge can't be bothered, then why should the audience?

Candace Cameron Bure in the right roles comes over to me as a likeable actress, with an easy-going screen presence and doesn't resort to over-compensating or looking bored. That may not be the case with others, but that's my stance. Have not liked everything she's done, and it has nearly always been to do with the writing and her characters rather than her when she isn't so good, but her best work is nice and undemanding that nobody should expect too much from.

That is the case with 'Christmas Under Wraps'. Am not going to say that it is a great film or a masterpiece because it isn't and its flaws are not small. Have also seen better Christmas films. 'Christmas Under Wraps' is though sweet, amiable entertainment, that did make me smile and feel warm inside, and a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours or so, succeeding in not trying to do more than it needed to do while always showing signs of trying. Of my recent Hallmark/Lifetime etc. festive quest, this has been towards the better end.

Of course 'Christmas Under Wraps' is not perfect by any stretch. One of its biggest problems being that it is goof and continuity-ridden (am not trying to nit-pick), and unfortunately too many of them are very distracting and badly affect any authenticity. It is one of those films, not unexpectedly though, that one knows how everything is going to map out much of the time with it being pretty formulaic.

Some of the dialogue is pretty cheesy, laying it on somewhat too thick on the corn, and there is a twist that is made out to be big but isn't really at the end of the day, not surprising or earth-shattering in the least.

However, both Bure and David O'Donnell are charming and likeable leads, especially Bure, with an easy-going chemistry that never came over as stiff. Brian Doyle-Murray and Kendra Mylnechuk are standouts of the solid supporting cast, very lively and full of charisma. None of the characters bored or annoyed me, even the standard somewhat over-bearing mother trope. Anybody that wants their hearts warmed and wants to be charmed for a couple of hours, while seeing something inoffensive and something different on the television are likely though to find much to like about 'Christmas Under Wraps'. The film looks quite good with a picturesque and at its best stunning setting that makes one want to be there, complemented nicely by the photography. The soundtrack when used creates nostalgia and puts a smile on the face.

While the story may be formulaic, it is also immensely charming and heart-warming that never tries to be too complicated while not being too cardboard-thin. There is nothing mean-spirited about it, very feel-good actually, and it is genuinely moving without going overboard on the sentimentality, other than the continuity nothing else really insults the intelligence.

Altogether, nice film. 7/10

If you watch the first 5 minutes of this you will get the feel of the rest of the movie. The actors did a good job, but as the other reviews stated, the script and plot are a little flat. Frankly, what do you expect from the Halmark channel? It was a happy seasonal flick, but is unlikely to become a classic.

Also, I would just like to point out those were all white blankets...not snow. Snow crunches when it is stepped on. Oh, and I would also like to point out that the Cessna had one landing light when taxiing out, but two, rather bright lights once airborne (when the landing light would have been off).

It will surely encourage a little bit of Christmas spirit, and perhaps even some winter fashion tips. -Just look past the sub-par CGI and that it was clearly filmed in a warmer climate.