Un matrimonio per Natale

A party planner's boyfriend leaves for Europe. Years later they reunite on a project. Of course you know what will happen. Most hallmark movies are predictable so the fun is seeing how things evolve. Unfortunately it's kind of too obvious and strained from the start. By the time they get together you kind of want to change channels.

Jessica Lowndes is pretty in a Megan Fox way. So she isn't quite right for this kind of sweet Hallmark romance Christmas movie. She is better as the bad girl as in a Mother's Nightmare. Also she is too pretty to be dumped. The actor Christopher Russell is a bit mannequin like just grinning and not showing much range.

I suffered through this movie twice, because I missed most of the first hour the first time it was on. I really didn't miss much. Where does Hallmark Channel find their actors/actresses? The ones in this movie were horrible, stiff, and the lead actor looked like he was reading cue cards half the time! He made no eye contact with other people in his scenes and was looking off in the distance during most of his time on screen.

Hallmark Channel should have given ALL of the performers in this movie free acting lessons. Save yourself two hours of your life and skip this show.

One of the many Hallmark movies that are produced for holiday viewing but this one is not worth your time.

Brie, an advertising executive, lands her dream assignment organizing the perfect Christmas wedding for a fashion magazine. If she succeeds, she will make partner at her firm. The only catch is that she unknowingly has been paired up with a certain high powered fashion photographer who just happens to be her estranged ex- boyfriend. Stars Jessica Lowndes and Christopher Russell

The two nice looking leads however in this film they don't have chemistry and your your not rooting for them. One of the main reasons you are not rooting for is because the plot is weak. There also enough plot holes to drive a truck through.

This film is family safe but EVERYONE who watches this will be bored.

I want to like Hallmark movies, I really do. But they apparently have a standard formula; if you've seen one you've seen them all. There is either a lost love, a character with a dead spouse, or a divorced parent that still loves the other party. This one is the lost love plot and if you couldn't figure out the ending in the first 10 minutes you've never seen a Hallmark movie.

The supposedly ultra-glamorous sets for a trendy bridal magazine were standard Christmas decorations seen in any department store. The wedding dress was totally forgettable. This was supposed to be a top bridal rag and the poses were in front of a Christmas tree and a car? There was no thought toward making the "jobs" of either character the least bit authentic - what fashion photographer takes one shot and calls it "perfect" and walks away?

Zero chemistry between the characters and bad acting all around.

And my perennial complaint with Hallmark movies all shot on the same summer sound stage - green leaves on all of the trees, characters inappropriately dressed for what is supposed to be cold weather.

Two hours of my life I will not get back.

Am not saying that with malice. Hallmark Christmas films do have a tendency more often than not to be very predictable, cliched, very cheesy, too schmaltzy and over-scored. There have been many times where they have also been very cute, warm hearted, heartfelt, charming and appealingly acted. Really did want for 'Merry Matrimony' to be all of those latter adjectives, as Hallmark have shown quite a number of times that they can make watchable films.

Which sadly 'Merry Matrimony' is not one of, the complete opposite. It has a couple good things and is not quite down there with the very worst Hallmark Christmas films, though it was close. It is said with regret though that to me 'Merry Matrimony' was pretty much all of the negative adjectives mentioned above complete with bad acting pretty much all round and characters not worth caring for. Very little works here and the worst aspects are awful.

'Merry Matrimony' has some lovely scenery and decorations and is attractively photographed.

Sadly that is pretty much it for the good things. The acting all round is very bad. Jessica Lowndes does not look comfortable and has very little expression in her performance and Christopher Russell is far too introverted and looks and sounds half-asleep the entire time. Their chemistry is non-existent, the two look so indifferent and under-rehearsed when together and there is just nothing to the relationship. The rest of the cast are a mix of very stiff or overripe.

The characters are shallow ciphers and little more than typical Hallmark cliches with no variation, and none of them are believably developed or likeable. The direction throughout is as indifferent as the lead chemistry and is at best leaden. The music is, as can be the case with Hallmark, intrusive and there is nothing memorable to it. When it comes to the dialogue, it is very awkward in flow and there is no heart to it.

Both the cheese and sentiment go overboard, and because of disliking the characters so much there was nothing in 'Merry Matrimony' to connect with emotionally. The story is not much of one at all for most of the length, much of the first portion is endless and pointless filler and what there is of the story is very dull and makes no sense. The ending feels too rushed and too tidy.

On the whole, very poor and a long way from merry. 2/10.