Maman Noël cherche l'amour

This is one of the better movies on GAC Family. Christopher Russell is a rom-com veteran with multiple credits on Hallmark Channel and now a few on GAC Family. Ella Cannon did A Maple Valley Christmas last year (2022) on Hallmark and was quite good in that one. I thought they were very good in Peppermint & Postcards. Like others I don't understand why that title ???

So Chet Walters (Russell) is a self-centered, small town TV reporter hoping to get a better job in a bigger market. While seeking to come up with a new idea for a human interest story, he encounters Cara Miller (Cannon) and her young daughter Megan. They end up spending a lot of time with each other and... well, you know how these stories turn out. It's just that this one is different than most and Russell and Cannon had a good chemistry together. Like I said, I liked it and if you're a rom-com fan I think you will too!

6.4 stars.

The story itself is wonderful and if I summarize it for you, you might say it sounds pretty good. It's nothing new for Hallmark or UP Family, or other Family networks, it fits right in. The only problem is the whole thing is a mess. The sets and scenes and cinematography are top notch, the acting is okay, the dialogue could be fine, but it's a jumbled mess, the whole production, the script it's all a big fat bunch of confusion.

A news reporter for a small town is looking for his big break. A single mother of one little girl is looking for love. He doesn't consider anything in his life but his goals, she is not looking for any relationships. They both are pursuing what they think they need, but what they really need is each other. Somehow, we get to the point, but it's so awkward and ill-timed all throughout, I was cringing more than usual, much more. 'It's a Christmas Thing' a.k.a. 'Peppermint and Postcards' is an utter failure in its attempt to tell a simple story. And who came up with the alternate title? Makes no sense. I feel bad for whoever produced the film, because I bet they had a different outcome in mind than this.

Overall this is a warm and satisfying film. It starts out with a somewhat unusual--and, yes, disjointed, plot, but these aspects work themselves out very quickly. Ella Cannon was truly excellent. She played a character who was putting up with things in her life that most people would not, and doing it with grace and kindness. I could not help root for her. This was my first exposure to this beautiful Australian actress (who masters an American accent flawlessly), but I hope not my last. As usual, Christopher Russell was also very good--after the film's aforementioned disjointed beginning. He was a bit different from the usual "sure of himself" character he played in, say, this year's "A Dash of Christmas," but I think you'll find this role doesn't make him less likeable--he always seems very human. To finish, I could outline the plot, but why spoil it for you? I truly think these two characters will make you enjoy what is indeed a very different story.

The positive is I did get sucked into this movie and watched it all the way through. Classic Christmas decor in the background.

And I'm sorry but that's the only good things I can say about this movie. The acting is so stilted and the dialogue has me wondering if the writers actually were trying to sabotage the movie. Awkward, cringeworthy scenes. When an adult love story's ultimate culmination is a Christmas Dance, there's already a major flaw in the story: who cares?!? Literally two minutes before the end the main character still thinks he's going to take a job and then lo and behold he admits his love?!

Save yourself - this was terrible.

A Wish For Christmas (2023) -

Within the first five minutes I was unimpressed with Daughter Megan (Amelia Harrison), her Dad and his Girlfriend (I didn't catch their names) as actors. Ella Cannon seemed fine as Cara, but I only stayed with it for Christopher Russell, having never been disappointed by him before. He was great in 'Christmas 365/Forever Christmas' (2018).

But despite his presence in it I couldn't watch for long, because even his character Chet was behaving like an absolute "Richard" too. His pushy, career obsessed reporter and her laced up too tight, single Mum just weren't appealing enough for me to care how they would eventually get together.

As with many of the other films that I've tuned in to watch this year, this one might have sufficed previously and may yet in the future, but I have reached a point where I can no longer dedicate my time to such unimpressive matter, especially with so many other cinematic experiences being released each year. I might miss out on something great by persevering with this mediocre effort, so I turned it off.

Unscored as unfinished.