Christmas by Chance

This Toronto-area production follows a predictably Jane Austen-ish Christmas-movie plot. But it has an unusually strong Canadian cast, with Jacob Blair bringing the perfect look and demeanor as a patrician, slightly-clueless rich white dude.

Two things save this. First, there's an unusually funny set piece in which small-town female lead Chance (Winny Clarke) pretends to be a British noble. Second, there's the rest of the movie, in which blonde gal Clarke is completely upstaged by radiant Celine Tsai, exploding the typecast role of Single Asian Best Friend.

By 2021, we've finally got some fun comedy parodies of the Xmas-movie genre. But this one plays with the conventions subtly and almost unintentionally, and it's worth watching for those reasons alone.

This is a typical Christmas story based on the premise of a woman, Chance, hired by William to make a proposal to Leyla especially romantic. The story is nothing great. There are a few good gags and meanwhile the wrong couple forms a relationship.

I enjoyed good dialogue in this move with many clever and funny lines.

The other draw for me was the character of Chance played by Winny Clarke who is appealing and a bit quirky. Clarke also feels authentic is her serious scenes. She has chemistry with Jacob Blair

There's a scene near the end between Leyla and William which is like so many other movies. The thing is, this one feels honest too, not forced like almost every other one I've ever seen.

Should one approach this movie with a critical mind, there are lots of inconsistencies and the psychology of the characters would reveal quite flawed. Despite the background of the action, it is not a real Christmas movie. It would, rather, fall in the category of lukewarm romance. Happily, the story is reasonably fresh and the main characters likeable. What's more, it is one of the least offensive Lifetime productions of this season. Chance is a kind young woman who lives in her own world, mostly the past, somewhat defenseless in an evolving society. Yet, this is what makes her endearing. William is, perhaps, too soft as a dynamic, successful businessman. It is hard to comprehend the incredible lengths he goes, to propose to his model-girlfriend, who is clearly too absorbed in her ambitions to even consider a commitment. While this shows him clueless, it also proves he is a decent person whose heart is in the right place. It is almost unnerving to see him persist till the end on a misplaced pursuit, unable to see what is in front of his eyes. I guess the need for drama overcame logic, in the production. All said, the movie has some wit and good moments, the feelings are nice, and the predictable ending is appropriate for a show that wants to be no more than a gentle romantic tale.

Christmas films can go either way, which has been my experience watching overtime the festive output of primarily Lifetime, UPTV and Hallmark amongst those other companies. They can either be well-meaning, charming, warm-hearted and don't feel too heavy. Or they can be too over-sentimental, cheesy, contrived and bland. There have been many films of theirs that have fallen in both camps and in the camp where there is a bit of both. And 'Christmas by Chance' did have the sort of premise where the execution could have gone either way.

2021 really did vary when it came to Lifetime's 2021 Christmas films. 'Christmas by Chance' actually surprisingly fared reasonably well. It is a long way from being one of the worst 2021 Christmas films, and on the whole is one of the most inoffensive films in the batch. It doesn't start off that way, can be unrealistic and maybe could have done with more spark with the male lead and the romantic chemistry, but on the whole it does get better and is one of the better faring films in the batch.

It doesn't get off to the best of starts, with some awkward dialogue to begin with and the female lead character comes over as far too clueless. Did find Jacob Blair on the bland side and he didn't look very relaxed.

There is signs of chemistry between him and Winny Clarke, but there could have been a lot more soul and emotion to it as it did feel a bit too lukewarm for most of the film. Didn't care for the conflict, which is too forced and rushed and made her treatment of him too mean spirited.

However, there is a lot done right. Clarke is a very winning female lead and plays her with a perky down to earth charm that was most endearing, didn't always like her character but she did become a lot more likeable quite quickly. Celine Tsai is a zesty bundle of appealing energy and has great comic timing. The supporting cast are all solid and mostly the characters come over well, not too perfect and other Lifetime films do far worse when it comes to overdoing character flaws.

Production values are attractive throughout, especially the scenery and decor, and the music while intrusive at times is pleasant and has festive nostalgia. The script is amusingly light hearted, with some genuinely funny comedic moments and set pieces. The story is a typical one and is far from perfect, but it has a warm heart and charm, is sweet without being sugary and has a light hearted-ness without it coming over as a joke parody.

Summing up, uneven but above average. Worth taking a chance on. 6/10.

My favorite Christmas movie of 2021 so far, and I have watched a lot! If you are looking for a sweet Christmas movie with a super-likeable lead character (plus an adorable puppy), you will love this. I was laughing at the little funny moments throughout the whole movie - especially those British accents! It's everything I was looking for in a Christmas romcom!