Le Secret d'un Noël parfait

The cast in this movie is extra special. And the storyline is exceptionally good. That said, the character Hayley is a bit over the top with her emotions. I'm used to the heroines working through their problems to a satisfying conclusion. The character Haley seems to emotionally break down at the beginning of the movie and isn't a strong woman as I've come to expect from Hallmark. It's a great movie and takes place in the Winter in a beautiful part of the country and well worth watching - I was just disappointed in the Haley character's portrayal as weak and unable to meet challenges with strength.

I usually enjoy Taylor Cole movies. She is absolutely beautiful and very charismatic. But not all of her Hallmark Christmas movies have been top tier movies. I liked Unlocking Christmas but I didn't really like Making Spirits Bright. But she's always worth watching.

Long Lost Christmas is one of her best Hallmark movies. And it's directed by Michael Robison who also directed two recent Hallmark movies that I really enjoyed (Autumn in the City and Unexpected Christmas).

She plays Haley, a loving daughter determined to try and help her mother reconnect with her mother's long lost brother. Haley didn't even know she had an uncle and is understandably more than a little curious. Jacqueline Ann Stewart plays Haley's mother Patricia. One can only imagine how traumatizing it must be to grow up as an orphan and then lose touch with one's only sibling. I thought both actresses were very effective in conveying the powerful and conflicting emotions that they felt. Haley wants to know more but she also wants to shield her mother from further pain. It was an interesting and often emotional journey and although I didn't think the "reasons" given at the end were justified, I like stories that reconnect people torn apart by forces beyond their control. And we all know well meaning people who've made bad decisions. Heck, we've all made bad decisions.

Gordon was something of a cipher, but he seemed like a good father and I liked the relationship between Haley and his daughter Brianna, who designed and made wood furniture. The big design showcase opportunity subplot felt a bit off though. It was a last minute opportunity, with a short amount of prep time, during the holidays, and Haley decides that's a good time for a road trip? I also wasn't clear on how Brianna's furniture played such a big role in the showcase. But those are minor issues. The gist of the movie was the heart wrenching story of orphaned siblings who lost each other when they were young and how they find each other again later in life, through the love and dedication of a devoted daughter.

Haley's love interest, Blake, was played by Ben Ayres, who starred in Falling For Vermont, one of my all time favorite Hallmark amnesia movies. He was pleasant and obviously infatuated with Haley (like any heterosexual man with a pulse). They had a nice growing chemistry and seemed like a good match, to at least date.

This is top tier Hallmark. I cried several times. It made me want to hug my sister.

This is the story of an adult only child named Haley. She lost her father 6 months ago in Hallmark's increasingly morbid agenda of killing off parents. Her mother, Patricia, is not handling the loss well. She has hidden herself away, holed up at home reading books.

Haley learns that her mom, Patricia, who was in a group home as a child actually had an older brother who she was separated from. Haley then begins a search for her long lost uncle. She discovers a potential uncle just 30 miles away and visits his small business under the guise of potentially renting something for a family reunion. First she meets his business partner, Blake who is played by Benjamin Ayres.

Blake and Haley slowly start falling in love as Haley tries to chip away information from the gruff and private Gordon to determine if he is her uncle. In the process she learns Gordon is a widower and has a daughter who makes amazing wood furniture named Brianna. Brianna and Haley partner to decorate a show home for charity...and then Haley finds out Gordon isn't her uncle, or is he?

This is another in the increasingly sad storylines about death and loss that Hallmark is bringing to the screen. This one does have a happy ending and a somewhat positive message about giving back to the community.

I really like Benjamin Ayres and I think he is very natural in this role. Ok film if you can handle the sad story arcs.

Not sure where this was filmed but it is set in Colorado, Denver and a fictional town four hours away near Aspen. The 30-something single lady is an interior designer, after her dad dies it is just her and her mother. Mom's old photo from 1973 shows her as a small girl and her brother, seven years older, in a foster home. She was adopted, he wasn't, and they lost track of each other.

With modern internet technology, and the help of a computer-savvy friend, they come up with a list of possible people for her brother. The prime candidate has a business in the small mountain community. He also has a single partner, and 40-ish man who might be a perfect match for the interior designer.

My wife and I watched this Hallmark movie at home, streaming via NBC's Peacock site. We enjoyed it, a good story about reconnecting with family in a "long, lost Christmas" celebration.

This is a fairly common Hallmark trope ... looking for estranged family. It's done well ... and with some beautiful buildings inside and out, since we have a builder and an interior decorator.

The actors all do a good job, I believe "as directed", but this is one of a long list of Hallmark Christmas films this year I find to be rather drab. The characters are all very reserved, even in their happiest moments. In the movies I REALLY enjoy, the actors bring some real life and personality to the roles, and I simply didn't get that from this movie.

It's absolutely worth a watch, but it's not one I'll look for again.