Un Noël impérial

Jess Waters (Sarah Drew) is a concert violinist looking for her music inspiration. It's nothing more than a job now and a rather tiresome one for her. Her friend Tori Voight gets her a performing gig in Vienna and introduces her to cousin Mark Olsen (Brennan Elliott).

This is a Hallmark Christmas romance. I love Sarah Drew ever since Everwood. She's still great. There isn't much in terms of drama. There is barely a plot. It does have Vienna and that's the main attraction in this. It looks pretty. As a movie, it's rather bland. As a travel show, there is a good fifteen minutes.

The good point of film was, obvious, Vienna. The second good point -Sarah Drew effort to save a romance not so credible. The other good thing - the subtle reference to The Sound of Music. But, unfortunately, nothing more. Sure, a Halmark , so, the expectations are reasonable . But, against the not new recipe, it is not fair to ignore the potential of a real good story, sacrified for a too gray product of serie.

She is a concert violinist, invited to Vienna to perform for a Christmas event. He is a widower with three youngsters, he represents US interests and is assigned to Vienna. A circumstance has her get involved with the children, she gets attracted to the dad, he is reluctant but it wouldn't be a Hallmark movie if he didn't have a turn for the better.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. A very nicely enjoyable movie with a musical theme.

I will never understand why Hallmark insists on casting Brennan Elliott as a leading man. He never connects with his leading ladies. He just always seems aloof. His best performance was as the villain in Kiss at Pine Lake, where his insincerity fits his character. Sarah Drew was wonderful carrying the movie. The rest of the cast was also very enjoyable. And the film captured the beauty of Vienna at Christmas time. Christmas in Europe is so much better than here in the States.

Sarah Drew is so lovely and her chemistry with the cast was wonderful but the romance between her and Brennan Elliot just isn't believable. Elliot's character is too stiff and disinterested to be deserving of love from Drew's perfectly played, sweet and lovable character. This dynamic has worked in the past for Hallmark with Lacey Chabert in Crossword Mysteries and All of my heart, but misses the mark here. The acting is good between the leads, but you're left wanting better for Drew's character. The backdrop of Vienna is beautiful, it's a shame they didn't do a better job with casting the male lead, but it's still worth watching