Christmas films can go either way, which has been my experience watching overtime the festive output of Lifetime and Hallmark. They can either be well-meaning, charming, warm-hearted and don't feel too heavy. Or they can be too over-sentimental, cheesy, contrived and bland. There have been many films of theirs that have fallen in both camps and in the camp where there is a bit of both. And 'Marry Me at Christmas' did have the sort of premise where the execution could have gone either way.
2017 was a hit and miss year for Hallmark and especially for their Christmas efforts. 'Marry Me at Christmas' is among the better ones from that year and is above average. It is rough around the edges and is uneven, a milestone or classic is not to be expected, but it has its heart in the right place and it's a heart of gold. As somebody who took it for what it was meant to be, which was not high art but something inoffensive to pass the time, it was quite pleasant. Of course with a few of the usual gremlins but also with a lot of good things.
Am going to start with the good things, as there is more of them than there are bad. It is very professionally filmed and the locations are beautiful. Actually found Rachel Skarston very amiable in the lead role and neither the quirkiness or the character's flaws seemed overacted or overwritten (a common problem with Hallmark's female lead characters). Am not going to pass any comment on her hair like others have, that strikes me as a nit-pick and doesn't say anything about the performance itself. She is very well partnered and matched by the even more likeable Trevor Donovan, no stiffness or overdone uptightness in his performance and one can see his appeal. Their chemistry is good natured and genuine and it develops nicely.
Emily Tennant steals every scene she's in, not only does she have a smile-worthy charm but there was no doubt that she was enjoying herself. Keith MacKechnie and Michele Scarabelli are fun as the parental figures, ones that are not annoying caricatures or sketchy and instead coming over as real people. The script is not too cheesy or schmaltzy in my view and doesn't sound awkward. The story is heart-warming, is light-hearted, doesn't come over as too serious and is moving without being sugary sweet.
There however could have been less of the music score, it could have been a lot more subtly handled in a film that sounded too over-scored.
Despite the story not being bland and having its heart in the right place, it is not perfect. It is very predictable, due to a done to death formula lacking freshness, and has dull stretches. Some suspension of disbelief is needed later on, such as how too easily everything is resolved.
In conclusion, while not great 'Marry Me at Christmas' is a pleasant enough diversion. 7/10
