Il Natale dei ricordi

Very good opening and ending, the unoriginal and by the numbers middle definitely hamper the film but it's still a film I enjoyed.

'Christmas Everlasting' does feature a fair amount of heart, I cared for the main character - Tatyana Ali's Lucy. It's a good story, one that isn't all that usual for these festive television films. Unfortunately, as noted, is does hit the beats that those aforementioned productions would during the middle part - which is slow and uneventful.

Ali, as well as Dondré T. Whitfield & Dennis Haysbert and a few others, are pleasant to watch though - which stops the film from falling down the rankings. The trio of characters, spearheaded by Amanda Brooks, are strangely written, I will say.

All in all, it's worth a watch.

Rarely does a Hallmark Christmas movie involve a death that occurs during the course of the movie. Usually, the viewer is told that grandma or dad died last month or last year or whenever. But here, the death is an intricate part of the plot line and it is done in a manner that is quite interesting. The actors play their roles intelligently and realistically, particularly Ali who delivers a sincere, emotive, and multi-faceted performance.The only distraction is Patti LaBelle, but that doesn't happen until the last half hour of the movie. In a small role with only a couple of scenes, the part was obviously given to her because of her name value and not any acting talent. She adds nothing to the story and, when she walks into the dining room carrying the big Christmas ham, you think, "Oh look - there's the ham carrying the ham !" Otherwise, the dialogue is well-written, the story is rather unique for Hallmark, the sets are attractive, and the main cast carries the movie off very effectively.

Great movie!!! Really enjoyed it. Nice to see that Hallmark is making movies with people of color.

This is a story that in many ways can't miss hit you in the heart. The prodigal sister, Lucy, returns home after her sister's death to find out that Alice was a person who qualified for Sainthood. Lucy is on a road of discovery as she not only learns who her sister was, but begins to become part of the life she left behind. There is even a little mystery to be solved.

I could have done without big city lawyer flexing her muscles and Tatyani Ali needs to work on her angry crying technique. Dondre Whitfield never showed a lot of warmth nor was the chemistry great with Ali.

The movie was full of sentiment, but Christmas, though prominent, seemed to be almost secondary to the story. Likewise for the romance.

6/10 - good cast, but there were several plot holes that undermined my enjoyment