Un Noël de feu et de glace

This movie is an excellent remedy for insomnia. Based on the setting in an ice rink and the typical Hallmark plot of a young woman going back to her hometown, I wasn't expecting much from this movie. It was really boring for the first 30 minutes. Hardly anything happens other than the lead female heading to her hometown and finding out the local town single dad is into her. But the lead actors have about as much chemistry as wallpaper paste. The lead actor looks bored. The workaholic boss is loud and demanding. So many cliches. The acting is stiff and the lead actress recites her lines like she's reading from a teleprompter. The hilarious part is how the townspeople are supposed to be impressed by her figure skating skills. The lead actress (if it's even really her) can barely twirl in a circle on skates and the audience is supposed to believe she won skating awards as a teenager? The reality is that figure skating is a time-consuming and expensive sport. The casting directors could have cast some real skaters as body doubles or extras to make the skating scenes more believable. And of course, the premise of the single dad falling for the single woman from the city is so overplayed. Hallmark isn't exactly known for being original but these same plots are so trite. Save your sanity and watch something else.

"An Ice Palace Romance (2023)" skates just above thin ice, managing to deliver a lukewarm blend of predictability and charm. The film follows the well-trodden path of a big-city journalist, Emma, who returns to her quaint hometown only to face her childhood fears and, of course, a dormant love for ice skating. The plot, as cozy and predictable as a pair of old mittens, offers few surprises. It's the cinematic equivalent of a comfort food dish - not particularly exciting, but satisfying in its own right.

The saving grace of the film lies in its heartwarming dynamics between Lori, the rink owner Mark, and his precociously adorable daughter, Zoe. Their chemistry is as smooth as a freshly Zambonied ice surface. Mark, with his rugged charm and dad jokes, brings a lightness to the story, while Zoe's earnest enthusiasm for skating and matchmaking adds a sparkle of joy. However, the film's reliance on clichés feels as rehearsed as a figure skating routine.

In conclusion, "An Ice Palace Romance" is the kind of film you watch while wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and not expecting any cinematic revolutions. It's a feel-good movie that skates by on its charm and the sheer predictability of its plot. It doesn't aim for a triple axel of storytelling and settles for a steady glide. It's a three-star film - not because it's exceptional, but because it's comfortably okay, like a familiar pair of skates that have seen better days but still fit just right.

An Ice Palace Romance simply did not end up being as likeable as I initially thought. I loved the characters initially, including Lori's coworker, who was light and funny. He really looked and gestured similarly to Mario Cantone, from Sex and the City. I also loved their chemistry as friends/coworkers, so that made me initially think the whole movie would be fun. Instead, Lori quickly morphs into the 'nose for news' journalist that left her heart in Chicago and became an itinerant snob in her hometown.

It was difficult to like Lori, because she seemed to think that she was beyond criticism or reproach; she was resistant to the male lead, Mark (Marcus Rosner), for an extraordinary length of time, and I failed to see why he wanted to be with her so badly. Maybe it was her taking a liking to his daughter, which WAS a good aspect to the movie. However, that seemed flimsy, and it only became more grating as she eventually pulled an unthinkable move on him.

The good aspects of this movie included the realistic actors that played the side roles. I loved seeing people of all shapes and sizes and features.

There were mysterious details that I may have missed. Why was there a need to have a camera person following Lori always? That seems exorbitantly unrealistic, and they didn't really develop the friendship at all. (They meet, shoot something together, and suddenly are like old friends.) The architect and camera-person are adorable, and that storyline just didn't launch at all.

I also enjoyed seeing the familiar actress playing the Mayor, but she was a complete weirdo in that scene where she asks Lori "Are you sure that is all you are here to do ?(work)" (sic) - i saw serious snark in that facial expression, but wasn't sure why/what made the Mayor suddenly want to put Lori in her place. She also seemed stuck on herself, along with Lori.

The basic gist: the characters had so much promise, but the majority were either unused or seemingly elitist for no apparent reason. Mark was a great character, as well as the young girl who played his daughter. I appreciated her skating talent, and the fact that she could clearly skate in real life.

This movie wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but oh, the model of the new ultra-modern building at the architectural firm truly stole the show. The quaint town, in a desperate bid to revamp their cozy downtown, decided to go full dystopian. They commissioned a high-rise that was the epitome of bleak - a gray, windowless monolith that could easily be mistaken for a gigantic parking garage.

The town planners, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the roof of this dreary edifice would be the town's new social hotspot. Because obviously, when you think of lively gatherings, a parking garage rooftop springs to mind.

And then, as if this architectural wonder wasn't already a marvel, the planners added another 10 stories of 'residential space' above. These living quarters were so laughably small, residents could barely fit inside. One might stand there, sandwiched between the walls, staring out into the void, thinking, "Why do I live here? My 'apartment' can't even fit a bed, and I have to limbo dance just to get through the door."

In this movie, the building model wasn't just a structure; it was a bold statement on the absurdity of modern urban planning, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the lengths we go to in the name of progress.

There is nothing wrong with the concept of this movie. On paper, it should be a pretty good tv Christmas movie. But then things went wrong...

First, I'll start with the obvious, too obvious, actually. I hate to be the one that critises a movie based on the makeup of the leading lady but it's quite the eyesore. Why must you give her duckface lips? WHY? What's wrong with her normal lipline? Also, do we really have to make her eyes look extra droopy with the weird eyeshadow contouring thing? The makeup people made the leading lady, whose face is constantly close to the camera, look like a droopy duckface. Maybe it's not such an eyesore when you're watching at a distance but with computer streaming and high quality screens and cameras, it's really just unacceptable.

Secondly, where is the romance? If you told me this was about two friends instead of a couple, I might've reconsidered my rating. There was just no chemistry at all and the only bit of romance we got was a very awkward little peck on the lips. Just because a movie is family friendly, doesn't mean there can't be any romance. There are a few little attempts at compliments from the leading man which were mildly convincing, but this appears to be because he's a far more natural actor.

Thirdly, Celeste Desjardins performance is lacking in quality. She's not super bad but she's too uptight in this movie. It doesn't come across as a character being "themselves" but rather as an actress that put on the character's costume and is playing until someone yells "cut". While this is of course how acting works, the viewer is not supposed feel that. Her performance is just not credible enough for a leading role. I was waiting for her to drop the fake smile and the "Lori" act and for someone to yell "cut".

On the plus side, the story is good, there was no fake snow that was painfully, obviously fake, I love the ice skating theme, and Marcus Rosner kind of saved this movie acting wise.

Not a complete waste of time but with a little more effort and attention to detail, it could've been far more enjoyable to sit through.