Snow Bride

I have to admit that I am a sucker for the Hallmark Channel's holiday movies. I look forward to their annual, 2-month long "Countdown to Christmas" extravaganza with the giddiness of an excited child waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Hallmark's movies are warm, inviting and comforting, and they envelop me in holiday spirit, like a cozy winter blanket or a cup of hot chocolate. The plots are good-natured, usually a bit flimsy, and always predictable -- and yet I am drawn into the stories they tell as though I think something new and unexpected is going to happen at the end of each one.

In the case of "Snow Bride," I expected a standard, lightweight, family-friendly, thinly outlined romantic comedy -- and that's precisely what I got. However, it seems surprisingly modern and fresh.

One highlight of this movie is that the two romantic leads in "Snow Bride" (the striking Katrina Law and Jordan Belfi) are impossibly attractive, and they have genuine chemistry. This is not to say that other actors in other Hallmark productions are unappealing, but many times the couplings fall flat in the absence of any true sparks. The "Snow Bride" duo, however, sparks left and right.

Also, the repartee between "Greta" and "Ben" throughout this movie is fairly snappy, witty, and clever, which had me wondering if Hallmark hired some new writers...or maybe just better actors?

I suppose the only reason I am not assigning a higher rating to "Snow Bride" is that the circumstances under which our two leads meet seem a bit implausible and preposterous, although that is generally the formula for many of the Hallmark holiday romcoms that I already love.

Overall, though, "Snow Bride" is one of the better installments in Hallmark's pantheon of reliable, feel-good Yuletide fare. It's not going to win an Emmy, and it's not going to provoke deep thought, but it is as sweet and delightful as a sugary piece of Christmas candy, and that's all I need it to be.

When one sees one of these early Hallmarks, it is evident how the brand has slid into mediocrity in the last year or two. I guess it's to be expected, considering the sheer volume that are churned out nowadays. It is evident also in how much kinder I am in my ratings now. My standards have well and truly slipped. My expectations are so low, that when I actually enjoy one, it is kind of an event. I've re-watched a few of the older ones that I have given low marks to, and finding that, comparing to what is aired nowdays, they weren't all that bad.

Snow Bride had everything I love about the Hallmark movies and is so rare today. It was both funny and witty. The image of her tromping and tripping through the snow in her friends wedding dress had me laughing out loud. It had some funny repartee as well. The suspense of waiting for the truth to come out had me in a state of anticipation throughout. The big reveal had me cringing for our heroine and the comeuppance to the bad guys was very cathartic. The evil ones had me hissing and booing. There were some heart tugging moments and a satisfying twist near the end that I didn't see coming. Considering the vaunted predictability of Hallmarks, this was a real coup. Excellent writing. The actors were all great. Patricia Richardson was wonderful and wise as the mother. I loved the secondary romance and the story behind it. Very affecting. Katrina Law had great comic timing and also brought emotion to her role. she's no Teri Polo, Meredith Hagler, Autumn Reeser or Melissa Joan Hart, but she was just fine. Unfortunately she was not served well by the make-up artist. Bobby Campo as the brother added depth to his redeemed character. He is a favorite of mine from subsequent Hallmarks. The hero, Ben was a bit blah, but was very handsome. It really had all the ingredients. I wish Hallmark would go for quality over quantity, but at least they still show these oldies but goodies from time to time.

One common plot device is what I call the hanging lie, or the looming lie. Well instead of her having one and him having one, in this case, Greta is part of both of them.

Of course the reveal ruins everything in Greta's life, but there are a couple little twists yet to come.

Katrina Law is a talented actress and she does well in this movie. She and Jordan Belfi have some chemistry, although there is too much going on in the movie for them to spend enough screen time together to really sell it. Except for two people, all the supporting cast is good also. I suspect Susie Abromeit and the guy playing the boss did as they were directed, but I thought both were a little over the top and cliché in their parts. She was so transparent and he was more unreasonable than he had to be.

This movie did not exploit all the Christmas themes as much as most Hallmark Christmas movies do, so there was not so much of the heartwarming stuff I enjoy.

As I implied, I think this movie would have been better if they'd found a way for Katrina Law to show more of her talent and work it with Belfi more, but overall it was still enjoyable.

Hallmark mass-produces Christmas movies by the dozen and they are, for the most part, interchangeable. Although not particularly unique, it's still a charming and heartwarming story with two characters who just mesh well together. Katrina Law is unlike I've ever seen her before (I only know her from Arrow), and her expressive eyes and face and goofy nature steals the show. Patricia Richardson is wonderful as the male lead's mother, exuding a natural warmness that many other actors try too hard to convey. The chemistry between the two leads are what makes this film stand out from other holiday flicks. I definitely recommend this one.

Great (Katrina Law) works for a blab magazine in the Los Angeles area. Single and very pretty, she nevertheless has been unlucky in love. One of her friends is getting married soon and Greta, good friend, volunteers to pick it up from the bridal boutique. But, wait! Just then she gets a call about trailing a famous political family up in the mountains of California. Dashing off in her shorts, she drives the car into a snowbank and starts to get the big "chill". Needing extra clothes, she puts on the wedding gown and then tumbles down a hill. At the bottom is a good looking guy, Ben (Jordan Belfi) who swears he is the caretaker of the nearby mansion of the famous family Greta is to find. Ben asks Greta about her dress, is she a runaway bride? Playing along, Greata says yes. No one is there to blow here cover. But, not so Ben. Soon it becomes clear that Ben is the elder son of the rich politician and it is expected that he will announce a decision to run for office. Just at this critical moment, Ben's younger brother shows up with a new girlfriend. Horrors! She's Ben's old flame, a true golddigger. Thinking quickly, Ben asks Greta to pretend to be his current squeeze. She agrees to play along. But, what will happen when the secrets start coming to the surface? This nice film is funny and romantic. It has all a romcom lover could wish for, that is, an attractive cast, a beautiful setting, sensational costumes, an energetic direction and a clever script with plenty of twists and turns. Even if its snowing to beat the band, fans, try to get a look at Snow Bride.