Un biglietto per Natale

An excellent movie, a little different from the usual Christmas romance, evolves from a number of different subplots that all come together to create a very satisfying experience. Well worth a watch. Acting and chemistry are good in almost all of the main characters.

This is one of the best Christmas movies I've seen so far this year. It has a believable plot and great message about how our actions make a difference for others.

Really was intrigued by the premise, while the structure is not a new one in film overall it is different and unconventional for Hallmark. Which was appreciated, after seeing so many Hallmark Christmas films overtime that follow a similar formula. There have been understandable comparisons to 'Love Actually', which will intrigue anybody that likes that film (myself included, duck). And while Hallmark's festive efforts fit in the quite big in quantity average and less group, there are winners as well.

'Write Before Christmas' on the most part is one of those winners. It is a refreshing change of pace for Hallmark, and is not too predictable a film surprisingly in its own right as well. As far as the 2019 Christmas films go, 'Write Before Christmas' is one of the better ones in my view. When comparing it with other Christmas films of Hallmark too, it fares pretty favourably as well. It's not a great or flawless film but it was a very charming watch and kudos to it in trying to do something different.

Lets get the not so good things out of the way. Do agree with somebody else that 'Write Before Christmas' does feel over-plotted at times. The film does not have a dull moment and is eventful, but considering the number of subplots and characters this is a Hallmark film that would actually have benefitted from doing less. Having not as many subplots and as many characters, and developing what and who was left more would have helped.

The dialogue is not always great, some awkwardness and cheese at times early on. Like most Hallmark films, there are parts that feel over-scored and the ending is over too soon and wrapped up too neatly.

However, there are a lot of things that 'Write Before Christmas' does well. The production values still manage to be pleasing. It's not too drab or garish in photography, the editing didn't seem rushed or disorganized and the scenery has a real charm to it. Enough of the script is thoughtful and doesn't come over as sickly sweet or cheesy. The direction is accommodating while also having enough momentum.

A further big benefit is the acting, Torrey DeVitto is appealing in the female lead role as is Chad Michael Murray (who shows that he has grown as an actor compared to the teenage heart-throb roles he did fifteen plus years ago) in his. Lolita Davidovitch amuses and charms. While there are too many subplots, 'Write Before Christmas' does better than expected at balancing them and connecting them together, the light-hearted heart-warming tone being consistent. The characters aren't meaty but were still not too hard to get behind.

Concluding, not great and a bit too cluttered but quite well done and pleasant. 7/10

Jessica sends five letters to people who had any kind of influence in her life. Those letter somehow affect their lives for the better, including her own. Original and beautiful premise, which was well developed.

I had low expectations for this one, and I'm glad I did. Torrey DeVito and Chad Michael Murray had great chemistry. And Drew Selley, that's a face I haven't seen in a while, it was a nice surprise.

It kind of reminds you of Love, Actually, different stories but all of them connected. I'm glad Hallmark gives us, even if it's once in a while, something different than the predictable movies we get all the time.

This is a well-intentioned break from the Hallmark tradition in that it sprawls beyond the network's predictable and cloying formula to focus on several couples - and, if you can believe it, a further subplot that doesn't involve romance at all. That said, any one of these storylines could have fueled an entire film, and if you know how sketchily drawn the average Hallmark movie's characters are, imagine how little you'd get to know about them if you multiplied by four. Obviously, this entry is overplotted and bursting at the seams, even more so because the screen time between plots is uneven, so some characters are allotted only a small handful of scenes with which to register. Some actors look alike (is it Jax or is it Luke?), which often makes it challenging to register which subplot we're in. The seasonal charm is there, and the performances are true, but the end result is a hodgepodge embarrassment of riches. That said, it's encouraging to see Hallmark finally starting to expand its horizons in terms of scope and formula.