Un Noël impérial

She is a concert violinist, invited to Vienna to perform for a Christmas event. He is a widower with three youngsters, he represents US interests and is assigned to Vienna. A circumstance has her get involved with the children, she gets attracted to the dad, he is reluctant but it wouldn't be a Hallmark movie if he didn't have a turn for the better.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. A very nicely enjoyable movie with a musical theme.

A very mismatched couple, the actress is good but the actor has no charisma. We don't believe in the attraction between the two, moreover, there isn't. Fortunately Vienna is here to save the film.

I will never understand why Hallmark insists on casting Brennan Elliott as a leading man. He never connects with his leading ladies. He just always seems aloof. His best performance was as the villain in Kiss at Pine Lake, where his insincerity fits his character. Sarah Drew was wonderful carrying the movie. The rest of the cast was also very enjoyable. And the film captured the beauty of Vienna at Christmas time. Christmas in Europe is so much better than here in the States.

This is another of what I call a 'classic Hallmark movie': beautiful scenery, dress, props and sets; a warm story and a solid script; good acting; and plenty of Christmas spirit and festive cheer. I enjoyed this film. The setting in Vienna was beautiful. I first fell in love with Vienna while watching Before Sunrise (starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), an excellent romance film by the way, and have been there several times since. It is a beautiful city. However, I am not sure I agree with Jess (played by Sarah Drew) when she says in the film, 'Philadelphia is the Vienna of the US'. It is a bit of a stretch with the comparison here. The story, overall, was pleasant to watch. I found myself engaged thru-out, which is a good sign (I did not, e.g., grab for my iPad during the movie). The dialogue on occasions was fun and cute. For example, Jess had lines such as 'tinsellitis', 'American Mary Poppins', 'how do you take your coffee? A tad too seriously', all of which made me laugh a little. The acting was very good. Sarah Drew had a strong performance. Brennan Elliott was pretty good too. My only critique here was regarding the chemistry between the two. I thought Sarah did well, but she could have been helped a bit more by Brennan. At times, he lacked that chemistry; it felt more like he was becoming friends than falling in love. The supporting cast performed well; Hallmark usually does a good job casting such roles. Overall, it is an enjoyable Christmas movie that provides some holiday warmth, spirit, and festive cheer. Fans of Hallmark will no doubt enjoy.

The good point of film was, obvious, Vienna. The second good point -Sarah Drew effort to save a romance not so credible. The other good thing - the subtle reference to The Sound of Music. But, unfortunately, nothing more. Sure, a Halmark , so, the expectations are reasonable . But, against the not new recipe, it is not fair to ignore the potential of a real good story, sacrified for a too gray product of serie.