Il Natale di Julia

I went into this expecting very little. I thought Rachel Boston would overact and play another overly cutesy quirky character and Wes Brown would underact and be wooden and awkward. I was pleasantly surprised because I actually really loved their chemistry and their characters. They seemed natural together and they balanced each other and played off each other very well. Wes Brown was fun and confident and just seemed comfortable in the role. Sexy even, which although he is a very good looking man, I just didn't find him attractive before this movie. He has never fully won me over in the past. I've found him a bit dull and he has looked a bit uncomfortable in past films, like he didn't want to be there. Which is why I was surprised at how great and appealing he was in this movie. He needs more characters like this where he can show a confident, playful and witty side that comes off much more natural. Rachel Boston played a mature woman finally and came off as appealing, coy and flirty instead of her usual immature-and-trying-hard-to-seem-young-and-adorable choice of acting. Don't get me wrong, I have watched her movies for many years and have liked most of them, but after so long playing the same personality in character after character, it becomes less cute and at some point you've got to grow. This movie gave her a chance to shine and I really enjoyed her in this and look forward to future movies. In case my review didn't express it well, I loved this movie so much that I will watch it again before winter is over.

Check Inn to Christmas was a cute title for a movie! Right?! The movie just felt overdone, same old movie just different title. Rachel Boston is adorable in almost everything she is in! I just did not feel the connection or chemistry with Wes Brown, a little forced. It kind of felt a little boring to me! It did not draw me in at all, nothing really to hold my interest.

Pretty weak for a Rachel Boston movie, but rarely do I rate any Hallmark movie less than 5. The story line was so thin, the whole cast, but especially the two leads, seemed to be more consumed with explaining the movie and pushing it ahead, rather than actually talking like real people do. Not much in the way of chemistry among anyone; look for just about any other movie she or he have been in and it's a good bet it will be better than this.

We've all seen this a few dozen times under different titles. Sometimes whether we like a Hallmark movie depends more on whether we like the people in the cast than any plot (or lack of plot). This must've caught me in the right mood, cuz I liked it. Wes Brown plays Wes Brown in every movie, so no surprise there, and Rachel Boston brought a bit less sugar than usual, which helped a lot. Supporting cast was mostly good (I did get tired of the mayor making speeches), and in the end, Everybody's happy. If only real life could be a Hallmark movie just once. I gave it a 7.

How did that happen? He's front and center a lot in this film.

For a story that's supposed to concern rivel/feuding innkeepers, there is virtually no tension whatsoever in this story. The one scene that's "sort of" an argument is trite and forced.

Most of the plot involves the typical "big company takes over small town" cliche. This is expressed mildly in a few scenes with vaguely worried expressions ... one of which occurs just before a commercial break -- soap opera style.

This isn't as insipid as some of the Hallmark movies have been this season, but at the 90 minutes mark my wife was ready to stop watching -- only continuing because there was only 30 minutes left.