Eight Gifts of Hanukkah

We've seen a few Hanukkah-themed movies over the years, and think this is the best. Yes - the bar is kind of low, but this is a Hallmark movie not Oscar night. We particularly liked the portrayal of this holiday as being for family, the children, and the history of it. You get to see the family lighting and blessing the Hanukkah candles - it was touching and felt right.

Let's begin with by stating the movie is only casually related to Hanukkah. It is about a guy trying to win the heart of the girl he pines for, with eight thoughtful gifts. Though the idea is not really innovative, it may still work for a romantic story. Sara(h), Inbar Lavi, is quite beautiful and accomplished and Daniel is rendered pleasant by Jake Epstein's somewhat endearing goofiness. The overall result is a show that has some substance and charm. An improvement would have been to characterize a bit more the spiritual side of the Holiday. A major one could have been to give more consistency to Sara(h) 's personality. She is purported to be a bright, sensitive young woman. How credible it is that she, receiving a series of gifts, clearly highly personal and reaching her more intimate thoughts, could even consider they would come from suitors she has just met? I guess this was done in order to create more drama. Yet, how can a viewer embrace a heroine who is wonderful and clueless at the same time? Thus said, I still liked the movie enough for a passing grade.

The anonymous gift premise isn't the most common and since this is Hanukkah, the traditional activities are different from all the Christmas movies, but there is still a charity function that all the romantic interests work on.

Jake Epstein's Daniel and Inbar Lavi's Sara (spelling as per the gift cards) have great chemistry despite supposedly being just friends. I'm beginning to really appreciate Epstein who seems to bond well with his opposite whether the story is about Hanukkah or Christmas. Lavi is new to me, but I liked her almost at once.

I think the viewer knows who the sender is almost from the first gift, but it's not long in the movie before he confesses to a friend. A lot of attention is paid to his frustration that all the other male candidates are getting.

This is the plot where secret admirer turns out to be the dark horse best friend. Yes, it is a cliché, but, for me, it usually works. And by and large it works in this one. I liked the male lead very well. He was appealing in an average guy sort of way and conveyed his love and longing hidden behind jokey behavior towards the heroine very effectively. The female lead was OK despite her voice being very high and girlish. Also she giggled an awful lot for the mature usually poised and serious person she played. She was definitely channeling Lacey Chabert or Jen Lilley or both. I got used to it eventually, though it was distracting at first.

Life long family friend and buddy, Daniel, who is working with Sara to renovate her office, tries to woo her by sending a thoughtful meaningful gift, on each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. It starts out being fun for all concerned, but as each day goes by and she still can't figure out who her secret admirer her is he starts to feel hurt and a little disrespected. She is being distracted by two new serious suitors. And they are both very nice and very eligible. Even her ex who dumped her starts to make some moves. He is a weasel. When Daniel's best friend, amusingly played by Doron Bell, asks him why he just doesn't tell her, he says, "Now it's becoming a test. I want her to figure out it's me." As they spend more time together (he teaches her to dance, for example) Inbar Lavi as the beautiful but blind as a bat optometrist (Eye See You-not.) Sarah does a good job of showing the increasing attraction she has started to feel for her friend and being confused by it. He knows she is starting to feel something, but wants her to figure it out on her own. It's a romantic dance and is very engaging. After nearing the last days of his courtship of gifts, which honestly only he could be the giver of, he overhears her speculating on the most unlikely possibilities and doesn't even consider it might be him. He is fed up. She finally figures things out, but he has lost patience. Is it too late?

This has some corny lines and situations including an awkward Forrest Gump imitation, but I really liked it. Some of the efforts to infuse the story with Jewish culture stereotypes, and references seem a little forced, but who am I to judge? The ending, and the 8th gift was sweet and perfect.

Trying to tell a Hanukkah story in the (Hallmark) Christmas movie format is likely to get mixed reactions. Yet, for the past few years, this is what Hallmark has done, and the last two have been delightful. Though arguably not as good as last year's 'Love, Lights, Hanukkah!', the 'Eight Gifts of Hanukkah' is a lovely romance nonetheless with some strong acting to boot. The story revolves around Sarah (played by Inbar Lavi), who is back on the dating scene a few months after a difficult breakup. On each night of Hanukkah, she receives a gift from an anonymous suitor. Meanwhile, her childhood best friend, the boy-next-door, Daniel (played by Jake Epstein), secretly pines for her. So, our story begins as we watch Sarah solve the mystery of her secret admirer, eventually learning that true love might be someone you least expect. Although the story is predictable, as is the case with most Hallmark movies, it is engaging and compelling nonetheless. In particular, the writers do a wonderful job of developing the mystery and backstories around the eight gifts. Indeed, this is one of the most appealing elements of the story. The family dialogue, interactions, and dynamics are also beautifully done. These scenes feel real, giving the story an air of authenticity. What makes this all work on-screen, of course, is the acting, which is excellent. Lavi's performance is notable. She does a brilliant job of portraying Sarah's growing attraction for Daniel (and how she is confused by it) as the story progresses. Epstein's performance is also very strong, convincing. There is no doubt how Daniel feels about Sarah. Moreover, the two have great chemistry on-screen. The closeness and friendship they portray feel real. The closeness of the family, in general, is one of the appealing elements of the movie. The family interactions and dynamics are well done. David Kaye's performance as Jacob (Sarah's brother) is excellent, for example. I also enjoyed the Hanukkah storyline in this one. You have, of course, the typical Hanukkah celebration items such as menorahs, dreidels, brisket, and kugel. There is a beautiful hand-made dreidel that Daniel gives Sarah. The movie also depicts the Festival of Lights through several events such as family dinners, a Hanukkah Hunt, a menorah lighting at the Jewish Community Center, and the Mazel Ball. Indeed, the movie spends a significant amount of time presenting the celebration of Hanukkah and Jewish culture. All in all, 'Eight Gifts of Hanukkah' is a lovely holiday romance, a nice edition to Hallmark's Christmas movie line-up this season. I highly recommend it.