Notre promesse de Noël

Christmas For Keeps (2021) -

I never really felt this connected to any of my teachers, although I'm friends with one now. Most of them were horrible, so it was a struggle to connect with the plot of this film. I'm pretty sure that none of my teachers would have wanted me to come back to school either.

Overall the film was a bit dull and even the cheer felt quite depressing. There was a lot going on, which meant that there wasn't enough time for what I considered to be the main romance between Ryan Rottman as Ben and Christa B. Allen playing Avery. Although I did like the fact that other characters were explored in a bit more depth, it needed another 15-20 minutes to deliver everyone's story equally as an ensemble piece. Mia's (Marielle Scott) story seemed almost completely lost amid the rest.

I think by restricting themselves to the standard one hour, twenty something minutes, they make things far too contrived. As a result this one lost the joy and heart that it should have had in remembering their favourite teacher and mentor through various activities that meant a lot to him, because it focussed too much on the hardships in their lives and the issues with their relationships, having too little time to show the pleasure they enjoyed.

I'd probably skip this one in future unless there was a director's cut that showed a bit more to it, but I doubt that exists.

4.5/10.

This movie tries so hard. So hard that it hurt to watch. Unfortunately characters like the mother (played by Janet Kidder) are so overbearing that they irritate and annoy. The constant push for the main characters to fall in love is annoying. The shining stars for their acting abilities sit with Marielle Eisner and Cardi Wong. They are honestly the only ones worth paying attention to.

It's a good premise and I like the diversity... just acting wasn't that great or maybe just didn't make me feel anything for them and it was just okay to watch. I felt like, okay, what's next?

Slow, boring, not a typical Christmas movie for hallmark. Cardi Wong was the only one who could act. The other main characters were boring and blah. We turned it off bc we just couldn't watch it any longer. The female main lead was physically expressionless in her face, which made her look like, well-nothing. I don't mean to be rude, but the Botox in these young women has to stop.

I struggled a bit with assessing and reviewing a 'Christmas for Keeps'. On the one hand, I liked the friends' group concept, especially the individual storylines (and backstories) for each friend and how these intertwined together (with their past). On the other hand, I did not connect with some of the individual characters and their stories as much as I would have liked. Put differently, aspects of the story did not engage me, pull me in, unfortunately. That said, 'Christmas for Keeps' is still an entertaining movie that highlights friendships and the positive impact teachers can have on their students (the student-teacher bond) in a warm and heartfelt manner. The story follows a group of close, high school friends - Avery (played by Christa Allen), Sarah (played by Ashley Newbrough), Mia (played by Marielle Scott), Noah (played by Cardi Wong), and Ben (played by Ryan Rottman) - as they return home at Christmas to celebrate the life of their favorite high school (drama) teacher, Mr. Massey (played by Everick Golding), who recently passed away. However, getting the gang to spend time together this Christmas is not going to be easy, as each one of them is busy with jobs, kids, and much more. As I alluded to above, the writer does a good job of intertwining the friends' individual stories (i.e., the struggles they face in their personal lives) into a coherent narrative. The beauty of the movie lies in the love, support, understanding, and encouragement the friends give each other in their time of need. I also enjoyed the individual flashbacks where we learn how Mr. Massey impacted their lives and how this influence helps them reconnect and strengthen their friendship. Moreover, the individual stories are quite diverse so that most viewers can find a bit of themselves in the characters. Of course, there is some romance in the movie as well, a sweet friends-to-lovers storyline with some heartwarming scenes between Avery and Ben. The acting, overall, is pretty good. Both Allen and Rottman have strong performances. The chemistry between the two is great (it is convincing). They have a couple of touching scenes together, which are lovely to watch on-screen. Wong especially has a brilliant performance as Noah, the stay-at-home dad with unfulfilled career goals and a passion for baking. Out of all the friends, I found his performance the easiest to engage with; it pulled me in from the start. Finally, the movie has all your classic Hallmark Christmas elements, from lovely decorations and hometown traditions to Elf and Santa Klaus costumes and much more. All in all, 'Christmas for Keeps' is a sweet, festive, and heart-warming story. It will likely have you wanting to catch up with friends and reminiscing about the good old days.