Noël comme chien et chat

I have always been a fan of Jessica Lowdnes. But it is my first time watching Chad Michael Murray and I like the way the two actors play off one another. It is a wonderful Christmas love story. The only affectation I found distracting is the character's eating granola in so many scenes. After watching this program I went looking for other movies starring Chad Michael Murray because I am interested to see what he did with other acting roles.

This Christmas movie is filled with laughter, love and family. It's what Christmas is all about.

Couldn't get past Chad Michael Murray's bird nest hair. It was like someone roughed it up before every scene.. He was trying too hard to look rugged and ruffled and laid back. It just looked phony.

OR this script and JMM make her seem better. Typical storyline but not annoying. Dialogue very believable. CMM made the romance work. Supporting characters entertaining.

As much as I usually love him, Chad was actually quite an annoying character in this and as such, not easy to fall for. To be fair Jessica didn't do much for me either and not just because she's not a man. She was too perfect and it grated a bit.

It's not badly acted or put together, so I didn't feel the need to turn it off, but it doesn't hit high on my scoring list and probably only as high as it does, because Chad looks good in a dinner suit. I might tune in again in a few years, however it will not be a film I feel the need to watch at least every other year and definitely not annually. I'll just watch 'The Snowman' (1982) 3 more times instead.

It does feel a bit more like how a family Christmas should be and the activities all blend with the story nicely.

4ish?

Expectations weren't particularly massive for 'Too Close for Christmas'. Am not a fan of Jessica Lowndes and have not been impressed by a lot of her performances. Chad Michael Murray generally has come on a lot, though some performances and films are better than others dependent on the material. The premise also wasn't wow worthy. But there was hope as there were good films in the unsurprisingly uneven 2020 Lifetime Christmas batch.

Of which 'Too Close for Christmas' is one of the better ones and has one particularly big surprise that was not expected at all. Is it a great film? No, none of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films are though in all fairness. Is it worth watching? Absolutely yes (as is enough of this particular batch), and one of the recently seen Christmas films that surprised me a lot. While not everything in 'Too Close for Christmas' works, a lot does and very well indeed.

Am going to start with what could have been better. The plot is nothing special formula-wise and in terms of how it maps out. It's another film that is a bit of a slow starter, where it takes time to set up and the dialogue is on the awkward side.

Did think that some of the conflict was a bit forced and that the ending was too neatly resolved.

Having said all of this, 'Too Close for Christmas' succeeds in many areas. Visually, the film is professional looking rather than looking on the cheap, the scenery is lovely. The music is not used too much and has an appropriate sound. The direction shows somebody at ease with the genre and while there is nothing innovative it's not routine or dull either. Murray tries too hard at times, especially in the argument, but he brings energy and charm to his performance. Even better, surprisingly, is Lowndes in one of her best performances, much more relaxed and expressive than usual. The chemistry between them endears. The supporting cast are strong all round.

Characters were ones worth rooting for, they may not be complex but they at least have personality and the personalities are interesting and appealing. No overblown character flaws. Furthermore, a great job is done with the Christmas atmosphere, where it does feel like Christmas and in an affectionate way. Some lovely Christmas touches and there are some very sweet, but not sickly, scenes. Was not crazy about the script early on, but it did have a nice mix of funny and poignant lines. The story may be thin but has a warm heart and charm and doesn't take itself too seriously.

In conclusion, a pleasant surprise. 7/10.