Un Noël pas si ordinaire

There are lots of inconsistencies in the timeline, script & plot. The conflicts are boring, unprovoked & again, inconsistent. The family connections are confusing! I wish I weren't too stubborn to turn this off. 3/10 stars

Marry Me for Christmas (2013) is a movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a young lady returning home for Christmas who doesn't want to give the impression she's so busy at work she can't find a man, even if true...so she brings a coworker home she's interested in and asks him to pretend to be her fiancé. He sees this as a great opportunity to win her over. Meanwhile at home her family sniffs things out, especially her childhood friend that may be a better fit to be her fiancé.

This movie is directed by Roger Melvin (He's Mine Not Yours) and stars Karon Riley (Ambitions), Malinda Williams (First Sunday), Jason Weaver (ATL), Chrystale Wilson (The Players Club), Deetta West (Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins) and Tamara Bass (Baby Boy).

I really enjoyed the family dynamic, mix of characters and chemistry between the cast. Some of the scenarios were over the top but still fun to watch unfold. The plot is predictable and straightforward, as is most of the comedic content, but fit the holiday genre perfectly. This is one of those plots that are more fun than good but has some zings and cracks that make you laugh out loud.

Overall, this is far from a holiday classic but is still a worthwhile addition to the holiday genre. I would score this a 6.6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

'Marry Me for Christmas' (2013)

Opening thoughts: Despite sounding very predictable, 'Marry Me For Christmas' also sounded relatable and have seen lower budget family drama films done well. Unfortunately, 'Marry Me For Christmas' is not a good example of this being done well. Really liked the idea, but the idea was wasted by mediocre at best and too often downright bad execution. Is 'Marry Me For Christmas' unwatchable? No it isn't, it does have a few good things but even those good things have been done infinitely better elsewhere. Could it have been much better? Absolutely yes and it was a shame that it didn't turn out well at all.

Good things: Beginning with the good things, the scenery is quite nice. It does lack authenticity, it is clear that this wasn't done in Winter but it is at least nice to look at. The actors to me did do a more than serviceable job with what they were given, regardless of the character writing the performances were surprisingly above average. Particularly Victoria Rowell.

Some of the music is pleasant enough.

Bad things: The film however does suffer from a lot of drawbacks. The editing is very choppy and lacks fluidity and the photography could have been less drab and more focused. While the music is pleasant on its own, it could have been used less and with more subtlety. While the actors do well and their characters didn't irritate me, the characters also didn't feel fleshed out enough and personalities could have been stronger and behaviours less confused.

When it comes to the script, pacing and story, 'Marry Me For Christmas' is very messy. The script is very stilted and has too much awkwardness, humour is too far and between and what little there is is cheesy and not funny. The sentimentality also gets too much, as does the over hostile bickering that tends to come out of nowhere and unprovoked. The pace often feels very dragged out in a story that is very thin and filled with overlong padding, what little story there is is very predictable and bland. Structurally, the film is as jumpy as the editing, which did make events incomplete and muddled and affected the coherence.

Concluding thoughts: Overall, had potential but rather weak.

3/10.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is fun, quirky and sentimental - perfect for the family to watch at Christmas time. My husband who is a die-hard action fan even enjoyed it. I like the cast of characters. The mother, played by Victoria Rowell (Young & The Restless) is funny, lovable and down to earth. Uncle Donald is another favorite. This movies showcases the things that real families sometimes do. The two main characters have chemistry, and Malinda Williams is lovely in this role. I have seen the following two movies and would love to see more. As a writer, I can think of many ways in which this family's story may continue.

I'm super in love w this Christmas series. I'm praying they continue to make them every year. P.S. I would love to join the Chandler family in planning Christmas 6 months out.