howdy2

The storyline was cute. The dogs were cute. The male lead was not cute or compelling. While print model, Ezra Moreland's performance had flickers of authenticity, it was for the most part wooden & superficial. If he went to acting class and got some real training maybe it would help. That said, this was his first acting attempt, so he probably was anxious about his performance, but right now, he seems to be "modeling" through the role & not finding his character. Like several others, I was surprised when Ezra was given (yes, given) the Hallmark "Mr. Christmas" title over the more talented and charismatic, Hayden, who was always the stand-out; the one your eye was drawn to in every ensemble//group shot and every acting scene. Hopefully, Hallmark will rectify their original decision & sign Hayden to a contract, too.

Why MGM decided to waste the premiere talents of Rosalind Russell, Robert Montgomery & Reginald Owen is a bigger mystery than the movie itself. The attempt to copy the snappy, chic repartee of Nick & Nora falls very short. Mr & Mrs Smith or His Girl Friday this is not. The pulp fiction author was no Dashiell Hamett & director's best effort was the 1938 production of A Christmas Carol, starring Owen. He spent most of his remaining career directing B movies & ending with formula westerns. Also in 1939 Russell could be seen as the "catty" Sylvia Fowler in the classic, unforgettable "The Women." Being under contract to the movie studios was not necessarily a good thing.

I saw this in 1981 and it left me not being impressed and/or enlightened, but feeling in my mid-western way, I was lacking in some way. Not so - flash forward to 2023.

Wally is the one who is worth relating to, while Andre is a narcissistic, Holocaust-obsessed, insane person. It sounds like he has been doing psilocybin.

I wouldn't be surprised to find his wife exists only on a banana label and his caretakers will arrive at any minute to escort him back to "Happydale." Like another reviewer mentioned, Poland was still behind the Iron Curtin & traveling so freely to all these off-limits countries simply did not happen. And all these wealthy, geniuses he just happens to bump into and have such in-depth conversations with - are they real or one of figures that pops out of his mouth or appears during Christmas Mass or some other social event? Dealing with everyday reality it something his guy simply cannot handle.