A Suite Holiday Romance

This is a good looking Hallmark movie. The sets didn't look chintzy and the hotel was beautiful. I thought the throwback scenes were interspersed very naturally and added a lot to the story. I'm not always crazy about Jesse Schram but she was good here and i liked the male lead as well. They made a cute couple that you wanted to root for.

Over all, I'm giving it a 9 on my Hallmark rating on the curve scale. ( so many awful ones lately - got to give credit where it's due)

Much better than most hallmark movies. We did sit and watch the whole show. Interesting plot and funny bits. Heartfelt. Good Christmas flick. Would have been better with higher level of production design. And wardrobe. Acting was believable. Always love the Brits. Love and life do come full circle many times. Everyone has regrets. It's how you choose to handle them that defines the man.

7.6 stars.

Schram is radiant this time around. I usually enjoy her performances, because she's such a magnetic actress, but her role as Sabrina really shines. For one thing, she isn't looking like a toothpick as usual. I'm glad she put on a few pounds and actually returned to a normal weight. I wonder if she realizes how beautiful is her appearance when she doesn't starve herself. Perhaps she has a health issue requiring no calories or carbs, so I won't give her any grief. It's none of my business, however I will say it's my observation she is undeniably gorgeous in this film.

The story is interesting, but what propels it beyond most is the lively and authentic New York City, grand hotel atmosphere. There is a lot of luxury and high society all around and Sabrina fits right in. The lord's butler is also quite suave, so they make a great couple. The famous art dealer and the flashbacks of his past romantic adventure with a lady of New York was quite endearing and fun to watch. As Sabrina questions her own feelings, he helps nudge her in the right direction, teaching her that true love is most important. I'm not just saying this cavalierly, their interactions are heartwarming.

There isn't anything drab about this production, it is above average, but it's not in my absolute MUST-SEE club for annual or even biennial viewings. I will return to 'A Suite Holiday Romance' in three to five years.

Jessy Schram is a good actress and she valiantly performs in this movie which is full of ridiculous characters and situations. It's a very expensive looking movie with attractive sets and costumes but it is very inconsistent. At times, utterly silly, at others, very touching.

It's like the writers didn't know which way to go with this story. It's annoyingly far fetched at times, like when the two present day characters are actually watching what happened in the past. And then there's when Schram's character goes to the bar at the swanky hotel in her pajamas and bathrobe for a sandwhich. That's all we need here in the US where people are already going to the mall and the grocery store in their PJs and slippers - Hallmark is now telling them it's OK to go to the hotel bar in your nightgown ! Yikes !

I love Jessy Schram. I've already rewatched 3 of her Hallmark movies this season and didn't realize she had a new one out. After watching them all including this one, it occurs to me that they all have plots that are slightly more complex than the average Christmas movie.

This premise doesn't strike me immediately as fitting any of the usual premises except perhaps one about a royal keeping his identity secret. And that's not even exactly the case here. There is a little bit of a flip in that he isn't royal, but she thinks he is because he is the Lord's personal aide. And there is another significant plot thread in that Sabrina is ghost writing a biography of someone else at the hotel. We get to follow Grayson's backstory through flashbacks as told to Sabrina. There is also a nice twist coming. Maybe you'll see it coming like I did.

Schram does her usual good job and most of the other acting is good as well. Good dialogue.

BTW Schram did another Holiday movie in 2017, Royal New Year's Eve.