Noël avec un prince

6/10 - the royal Christmas movies are always a bit of extra fun when it comes to holiday TV movies and while this does not do anything to reinvent the wheel, it is still quite enjoyable.

Deedee and Colin run in to one another in a fancy hotel in New York. Deedee has just gotten out of the K-9 unit in the military and is struggling with what her next career move will be. She doesn't know that Colin is the crown prince of the fictional Exiter, where his whole life is planned. Deedee and her very Italian family show Colin what a real neighborhood Christmas is in Queens. Colin has a wonderful time and falls hard for Deedee.

I don't know what it is about an accent but it works every time.

Sweet holiday fun with a ridiculously romantic storyline, holiday decorations, piano playing and a lovable Italian family...lovable Nona included.

Cute, fluffy. Some fun moments. Music is pretty good. I kept wanting Prince Colin's assistant Wimpy to say "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

I would have given a higher rating if they had bothered to find an actor to play the king, who was able to pronounce the name of his country. I think that he only said it correctly twice, almost like by accident. Annoying!

I liked the leads and they had good chemistry. Decent acting. The prince was very handsome and sweet, had an honesty about him. The girl was not over the top like many of the female leads in these types of films. Had one moment of exaggeration with the "I will go to clean up like a normal person" line (paraphrasing). She got over that pretty quickly, and was acceptable throughout.

Like many Hallmark romances, this one is about a man and woman who come from different circumstances. They could hardly be further apart than a New York bakery worker and a British prince being groomed for succession.

Julian Morris' portrayal of Prince Colin is the best part of the film. He feels genuinely regal yet very likable. One could understand that any woman might fall for his rugged good looks, his affable personality, and his musical talents. His attraction to DeeDee (Megan Park) is a little harder to explain. We are to believe that the prince has little access to women of quality, perhaps due to his parents' well-meaning control of his life. Fortunately, he is attended by Whitbey (acted by Tony Nappo, who makes the most of his part), who is charged with overseeing the prince's activities, but cuts him some slack.

The acting is good, but the story---after some energy in the first part---bogs down in the mechanics of their obstacles.