Much Ado About Christmas

This is not a Hallmark movie but it has all the earmarks of one. Attractive single man and woman, they are quickly attracted to each other, a misunderstanding wounds the relationship, they have to work, with the help of others, to get things back on an even keel.

The setting is very nice, in the mountains and with snow all over, suitable for a Christmas theme. My wife and I watched it on Peacock streaming movies, we enjoyed it.

Yes, another Christmas movie, not extremely original and predictable. Yet, the production is rich enough, the characters are pleasing and the story flows well. All together, the results are charming. A nice start for GAC channel.

This is a very upbeat movie. In fact it is a little too Pollyanna. Among other things, there are a couple of shots of Susie Abromeit where her smile is pasted on as a little fake looking.

The story starts in a very vanilla way with almost no tension. The inevitable conflict is very predictable based on Haley's secret. There is the cliché failed attempt at an explanation. Then the secret is revealed to everyone in an unusual way which is kind of clever. This leads into a well done ending.

Abromeit and Torrance Coombs have so much chemistry it contributes to the overly cheerful vibe. It's almost too perfect. Acting is mostly good. The dialogue has some good moments. There are a couple of nice singing scenes including some karaoke which is actually good (as karaoke goes).

I'm glad that neither the boss nor the mother is an ogre. In fact I like mom and daughter's relationship.

The setting is decidedly British, even if it is apparently filmed in Romania.

This is a good kick off for GAC Family's Christmas season.

This modern-day take of William Shakespeare's play 'Much Ado About Nothing' is the first-ever original movie from GAC Family. And it is a wonderful start to the season, I must say. All in all, it is a beautiful Christmas movie: a warm and heartfelt story with a fairy-tale-like atmosphere, and some wonderful acting and performances. The story centers on Haley (played by Susie Abromeit), a generous and caring person who is loved by the community for her acts of kindness and support, and Claud (played by Torrance Coombs), an advertising executive who is keen to land a big account. At a charity event hosted by the Lloyd Corporation (the account Claud and his colleagues desperately need), the two meet at a coffee stand, falling instantly in love. However, Haley has a secret, which eventually comes full circle. It is a warm and gentle love story, as we watch the two discover each other and fall in love. The script is well-written for this genre of film with some very romantic scenes and dialogue. There are a couple of touching scenes too, which left me a little teary-eyed. For example, there is one between Haley and her mother, Leona Lloyd (played by Jacinta Mulcahy), towards the end that conveyed a heartfelt message. The acting was simply brilliant. Both Abromeit and Coombs had impressive performances. You could feel the chemistry between the two right from the start at the coffee stand. I know it sounds corny, but it kind of did feel like love at first sight. Again, quite impressive. The acting, along with the cinematography, was excellent in this sense. The supporting cast too was superb. Mulcahy, I thought, had a wonderful performance (noting one of her scenes above). Another aspect of the film that stood out was the props, sets, and scenery. These were absolutely gorgeous. The film had a very charming Christmas feel to it, which I enjoyed. You also got to love Haley's plaid Mini. Overall, this is a lovely holiday romance. One that will almost certainly get you into the Christmas spirit. I highly recommend it.

It was interesting to see Shakespeare's pairs flipped. Beatrice & Benedict (aka Ben) are now the secondary pair with Hero (aka Hailey) & Claudio (Claude) moved to the primary romance. I found both pairs engaging and well matched. The location was lovely. Ditto sets, music, costumes. I thought it was a great premiere movie for the new GAC Christmas season. Congrats!