Alla ricerca di mamma Natale

Mira Sorvino (best supporting actress Oscar winner) headlines this Christmas romantic comedy with more fantastical elements than Dear Santa (2011) with Amy Acker (Person of Interest and Angel). Sorvino performs as Mrs. Santa Claus who discovers a letter addressed to her and feeling neglected by Mr. Santa finds herself going to Las Vegas to grant a little girl's Christmas wish for a new father. This is a cute, but not flawless romantic comedy. The clownish elf seems more than off-putting at times as is the stereotypical casino bouncer. Somehow the movie holds itself together with the parallel storylines of Mr. And Mrs. Santa and finding romance for the single mother who works at a casino. All the loose ends manage to get tied up, but barely and there are cheesy scenes that almost derail the movie. But the script stays the course with some tender moments along with a decent but predictable ending that help the movie end up being an decent, if not great, movie to watch at Christmas time.

This is a Christmas rom-com that is really (no kidding, REALLY) funny. Lots of gags of various types going on here. The "Sleepless" reference is when adorable but Vegas-knowledgeable, precocious moppet Hope Jenkins (Aislyn Watson) writes a letter to Mr.s Claus (not Santa), asking not for toys and trinkets, but a new husband/daddy for heart-of-gold mom, a Las Vegas casino concierge. Mom (Laura Vandervoot) is a STUNNINGLY beautiful blue-eyed blonde, so it sorta / kinda stretches the imagination that she would be bereft of male suitors. Regardless, Mrs. Claus (Jessica, played by Mira Sorvino), irked by an overworked Santa (Will Sasso) who blows past their 500th anniversary. Extra comic relief is provided by elfin reindeer wrangler Calvin (Geoff Gustafson), all being kept on track by hilariously-frantic Executive Elf Anika.

So while Santa is sleeping through a romantic dinner, Jessica reads Hope's letter asking for a new Uncle Daddy, and ropes Calvin into dropping her off at 'Vegas. With a little "magic dust", Jessica becomes (presto) the actually gohjuhs, if bewilderingly naïve, Jessica Clausbuffet ("It's French"). Meanwhile, Santa is distraught that Mrs. Claus has left him, and coerces Calvin into telling him where he dropped her off. Accordingly, Calvin and Santa go off to 'Vegas, arriving incognito (albeit magically), conjuring literal fistfuls of cash to "grease the wheels" of the greedy scrooge-like casino manager.

Ok, it's predictable from the get-go when you have a long talking role from Lifetime regular Andrew Walker, who plays the cute bartender (Myles) who's a big friend of Moppet Hope. But hilarity ensues throughout the movie, with a frantic Executive Elf Anika urging haste and attention to the mission, and Calvin the reindeer wrangler working the tables, Jessica looking for Noelle (Mom), Santa looking for Jessica, Myles the bartender keeping "Security" away from Moppet Hope, and a greedy scrooge looking to milk as much dough as he could from the magical rubes and sending a hooker (Brandy) to keep the mark (Santa) happy.

Like an old Tex Avery cartoon with characters running in and out of various doors, things will suddenly explode in one swell foop. You know romance will be "found" for Mom, Moppet Hope is happy, Santa and Mrs. Claus will reconnect (with help from Elvis), Christmas is saved, toys are delivered, and even party girl Brandy and comic-relief Calvin will wrangle, too... but the interim byplay is the more funnerer part, with bodaciously-whimsical magic tossed in as well.

I have to admit that when I read the summary, I expected the formula Lifetime Channel Christmas movie.......meaning the movie seems like it lasts a lifetime. But, its a really fun movie to watch. The storyline moves along at a rapid clip. There are lots of side gags, prop gags, Santa and even married life jokes to keep you laughing. The actors all play their roles over-the-top and it somehow pulls everything together. And speaking of the cast, this is one of those movies where it was perfectly cast. There was a chemistry between the actors that enables their characters to play off of each other to give the movie a farcical aura. Had they used any other combination of actors, this movie would not have worked very well.

Its not a classic comedy like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation nor is it something you will likely watch more than a couple times. But, its an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours and a must see for this season's crop of Christmas movies.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

This is a nice film that is so unexpectedly good. In this film When Mrs. Claus (Mira Sorvino) feels neglected by her less than attentive husband (Will Sasso), she goes to Las Vegas to help a little girl with her Christmas wish. But when Santa finds out and follows her to Sin City to make amends, he puts Christmas at risk when things don't go quite as he planned.

This is well worth watching

Mira Sorvino (best supporting actress Oscar winner) headlines this Christmas romantic comedy with more fantastical elements than Dear Santa (2011) with Amy Acker (Person of Interest and Angel). Sorvino performs as Mrs. Santa Claus who discovers a letter addressed to her and feeling neglected by Mr. Santa finds herself going to Las Vegas to grant a little girl's Christmas wish for a new father. This is a cute, but not flawless romantic comedy. The clownish elf seems more than off-putting at times as is the stereotypical casino bouncer. Somehow the movie holds itself together with the parallel storylines of Mr. And Mrs. Santa and finding romance for the single mother who works at a casino. All the loose ends manage to get tied up, but barely and there are cheesy scenes that almost derail the movie. But the script stays the course with some tender moments, some great and nicely performed deliberate misunderstandings by Sorvino with contemporary American conventions and the North Pole along with a decent but predictable ending that help the movie end up being an decent, if not great, movie to watch at Christmas time.