Je ne suis pas prête pour Noël

I used to really enjoy Alicia Witt. She's done great work on really good films, but it seems she is overacting now. It's a little distracting. She's such a doll...but it's really hard to focus on the actual movie.

Alicia Witt does really good faces. That makes her perfect for the strange predicaments she gets into as a result of having to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is embarrassing.

It was kind of ironic to see Alicia Witt singing absolutely horribly when doing Christmas carols, since she is a professional recording artist and concert singer. And I'm pretty sure she sings the title track also - it sounds like her and she has a recording of this song.

The overall plot is cute and leads to some fun situations, even if the idea is not at all original.

Kids in a Christmas movie are always good and this is no exception. Anna is a cutie. The sit down between Holly and her sister was very sweet. And it's Hallmark, so there has to be a romance and hugely unrealistic developments before the ending.

My rating for this one when I saw it 5 years ago was a 7. I'm bumping it up because I have come to appreciate Alicia Witt's talent when compared to the current crop of Hallmark favorite actresses. Most are not bad, but very few have Alicia's acting skills or comic talents. I found her very funny in this role, and the plot steps out of the current cookie cutter lines that Hallmark has fallen into in recent years. Special kudos to Mia Bagley who played the young niece. She was absolutely adorable. And it was great to see Brigid Brannagh again as Alicia's sister. One quibble: I hate it when either the hero or the heroine gives up the career opportunity of a life time to stay with the love interest. So instead of the guy going to be the musical director at NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY at twice the salary, he is going to stay with the high school? That is not going to end well.

Around Christmas I go through bucket loads of these things. I find them harmless festive fun, easy on the eye and brain, totally disposable.

So I never bother reviewing them.

This one did jump out though. I am mainly writing this review so I can remember what the film is in a years time.

It is basically a TV rip off of "Liar Liar" but without Jim Carrey and about ten million dollars chipped from the budget.

The film follows the same worn path where a busy, self absorbed exec type needs to grasp the spirit of Christmas and reconnect to the loving family she has been neglecting. This is done through the medium of a Christmas wish that prevents her from lying. So no medals for originality here.

I actually think Alicia Witt did a better job than Carrey, she brings warmth and charisma to the role without over-cooking it. The forced truth-telling is handled subtly and professionally - it avoids the crass and obnoxious outbursts that similar films feel necessary.

I liked this, I put down my wrapping and actually watched it. Now I am not suggesting you go out and buy the Blu Ray extended edition or anything - this is still a Xmas made for TV movie. If Christmas TV movies aren't your thing this won't change alter you perspective but if you have a choice between a few titles I would go for this one.

Holly Nolan is an ad person dedicated to her job. She is so dedicated, she puts it before everything and everyone in her life.…..until she misses one too many of her niece's recitals. Mad that her aunt was a no-show, Holly's niece meets a magical Santa conveniently standing outside of the recital hall. She asks Santa for one wish. That wish is that Holly only be able to tell the truth. Santa grants it and that's when the storyline kicks in.

Holly soon discovers that not only can she not tell a lie, she has lost her ability to filter her thoughts. In a normal world, that would be a bad thing. But in the Hallmark world, it opens doors and takes Holly to emotional and interpersonal places she might have never experienced. She tells her co-workers what she really thinks and it opens lines of communication. She tells a guy she'd really like to go out with him and it leads to romance. She tells an important client what she really thinks of his product during a pitch session and it lands her the big account. But does living an honest life ultimately lead to happiness? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

It's typical Hallmark fare, but Alicia Witt's performance and some thought provoking moments make this movie worth a couple hours of your time.