Tails of Christmas

I actually watched this a month ago, but I held off reviewing. Then I saw all the tens and thought I had the wrong movie.

No mistake.

Well, we're all entitled to our opinion. Mine is this movie is barely a five.

It stars Ash Tsai as a young woman who operates an animal shelter, and Eric Guilmette as an embittered veteran who begins volunteering there.

There's not a great deal of story here, but it is, unfortunately, one of those GAC movies in which the actors are stiff, wooden and amateurish...at times painfully so.

You really have to be able to get past that to watch some of these. Clearly several people did.

I can understand that. Ash Tsai was in another movie last year I gave a similar review and doubted I would watch it again. But I was wrong. I did watch it.

I don't see an Academy Award in her future, but she does have an appeal that's hard to describe, and an ever-present sweet smile that makes it ok that she's not yet a great actress.

Guilmmette was much the same. I have seen worse actors refine their craft and become very good, so I will hold out hope for both of them.

All in all not the best year for the Christmas movies, but GAC is getting there. In fact, I think I liked them better than Hallmark this year. First time for everything.

The Tails of Christmas brings the warmth and spirit of the holiday season to life, beautifully exploring themes of healing, resilience, and love. Eric Guilmette stars as Caleb, an Army veteran facing the physical and emotional challenges of recovery. When he returns home and unexpectedly finds himself volunteering alongside Amber (Ash Tsai) at a local animal shelter, he rediscovers a sense of purpose and forms a connection that goes far beyond gratitude.

Guilmette's portrayal of Caleb is nothing short of transformative. With remarkable authenticity, he transitions from a man struggling with his past to someone rediscovering joy and fulfillment. Each emotion-from pain to hope-rings profoundly true, making Caleb's journey feel incredibly realistic and deeply moving.

With its blend of pets, holiday cheer, and an uplifting love story, The Tails of Christmas is far more than a romance. It's a heartwarming testament to second chances, reminding us that everyone deserves happiness and purpose, even after life's hardest moments. This genuine, feel-good movie is a must-watch, capturing the true essence of the holiday season.

The good: promoted shelter adoptions, and how taking the focus off yourself and helping others (including dogs and cats) help make you happier and cures loneliness. Story was well written, and flowed well.

The bad: only showed fluffy purebreds that look like they literally stepped out of fancy dog shows. I love that they promoted adoption, but wish they had shown actual lovable shelter dogs. While there are purebreds in shelters, you much more commonly see terrier breeds. Seniors, black dogs, and cats, Heinz 57s-- all who are just as adorable and lovable and need homes the most.

And as everyone else mentioned, while the actors were attractive and likable enough, they were not good actors. Not by a long stretch. It was watchable only because they seemed pleasant, but lacked any sort of emotion or acting abilities.

Conclusion: I had to give it a higher grade because I love any movie that features animals and presents the idea of adopting an animal from a shelter. This movie's writers's heart was in the right place.

Merry Christmas!

Absolutely LOVED this story and how it evolved! The story begins at the moment the future sweethearts meet and follows the journey of how they figure out that they are in love with each other. Cute, realistic, Christmas but not Christmas crazy, and extremely realistic to how "real life love" transpires. Eric and Ash do a fantastic job making their characters come to life--- refreshing to see young actors and actresses who are so talented and able to capture the hearts of the audience! The supporting cast is fabulous as well! Cannot go wrong spending your time watching this heartwarming and realistic movie. And Kuddos to "real faith" interplayed throughout--- ABSOLUTELY REFRESHING!

I loved the dogs; they were actually my favorite part. I've always been a doggie Mom, and have had many over the years - have 3 right now.

I enjoyed the movie and the storyline. It certainly proved that dogs are good for you, good for the soul, good for healing.

But, the writing and/or the acting could have been much better. The acting seemed so tense, so scripted - like they were just reading lines - not natural at all.

Also, if you've ever visited your local animal shelter - I feel quite certain it looked nothing like the one in this movie. I know for a fact that the 2 in our city don't look like this one did. This one looked like a cute little puppy boutique. Cute, but not realistic.