Neuf Vies pour Noël

I found this film by chance whilst flicking through my television channels. I was not familiar with any of the actors except Gregory Harrison who once starred in a Christmas film with Olivia Newton John. I am often told that I didn't marry because I don't like to make commitments which is pretty true for me. Because of that I felt some sympathy for Brandon Routh's fireman character. However, the delightful Kimberley Sustad was perfect for the role as a young woman with a love for animals who eventually fans the flame of love in the fireman's heart. This is a much better than average Christmas film even though we all know that it is going to turn out well in the end.

Charming and fun Hallmark romcom about a handsome fireman (Brandon Routh) who takes in a stray cat, which leads him to meeting a veterinary student (Kimberly Sustad). Despite some obstacles, such as his witchy model girlfriend, the two become fast friends and eventually roommates. Will they become more? No, actually, they will not...because this is the only Hallmark movie ever made where the guy and the girl don't get together in the end.

I'm kidding, obviously. We all know where this will end up but, as they say, "it's the journey not the destination." The two leads are both extremely likable and attractive. Like everyone else, I'm familiar with Brandon Routh from Superman Returns and a few other movies and television shows. So I knew what to expect from him. Kimberly Sustad, however, I wasn't sure about. I could have sworn I'd seen her in something before. She looks vaguely familiar and her style of acting also seemed to ring some bells. However, I looked at her IMDb filmography and drew nothing but blanks. So I guess she just has one of those faces. Anyway, she's a treat to watch and easy to root for. She also has very nice chemistry with Routh. Can I just say how happy I was to see a male character in one of these things who wasn't rich and didn't have an MBA? The guy's ridiculously good-looking, brave, and dates models so, no, he's not Joe Everyman. But Hallmark has this annoying habit of writing the men in their romcoms to either be from a wealthy family or have some kind of business degree that lets us know he could be wealthy if he wanted to be. It's nice to see them stepping away from that irritating trope this time around. Anyway, it's a fun, lighthearted romantic comedy with a little bit of Christmas flavor. If you enjoy Hallmark movies then you'll probably like this one.

If you're a cat person, check out the Hallmark sweet movie, The Nine Lives of Christmas. If you're a dog person, check out The Search for Santa Paws. My fellow feline lovers will adore this one about cat playing cupid with an unlikely pair. Okay, that's not exactly the premise, but it does happen.

Handsome firefighter Brandon Routh gets adopted by a stray orange marmalade kitty when he wanders into his house and refuses to leave. Brandon doesn't have the ideal lifestyle for a pet, but he can't help himself and the kitty quickly becomes the station's mascot. Meanwhile, Kimberley Sustad is struggling to afford her tuition and keep her job at a pet store, and also to keep her landlord from finding out she has a cat in her apartment. They meet buying cat food, and even though one wants commitment and one doesn't, they just might fall in love. Even if this movie didn't take place during Christmas, and even if there weren't cats in it, I'd really like it. The dialogue and chemistry are refreshingly natural. Brandon is very convincing as a bachelor afraid of commitment, supported and egged on by his coworkers and friends Gregory Harrison, Dalias Blake, and Sean Tyson. Kimberley is equally convincing as a woman with other priorities besides love, but who feels pain as deep as the next person. Check out this sweet kitty Christmas movie; it'll surprise you how much you'll enjoy it.

Even as the plot set-up was unfolding, I knew it would be a Happily Ever After story-- is there any other kind of Hallmark Christmas story? What I didn't expect, whoever, was to find the script full of wry humor and gentle mocking. The emotional tone was low-key and no one overacted. Kimberley Sustads' warm and slightly ditzy character was within the range of believability and Brandon Routh's characterization of a reluctant firefighter gradually falling in love was also in keeping with the movie. The guys in the fire station were a little too perfect, but were still the kind of men we'd like for fathers or brothers. The movie was a bit too slowly paced and could have used about half an hour's worth of editing, but was overall a satisfying watch.

Ironically I first saw the leading actress in another Rom com where she played the sister of the main female character. And when I saw Kimberly Sustad I immediately believed she could hold her own in her own movie. So here she is the lead in this movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Okay let's be fair, this is not a movie that will end up on the Oscar best film short list. It is a movie that once the main characters are identified you pretty much know what is going to happen and just go along for the ride. So what for me lifted this movie above average? Kimberly Sustad. And why? Well there are not that many actresses that can really do emotions well. Kimberly managed to convey sadness and joy really well with her eyes watering up with tears almost flowing. Believe me this is not easy to pull off, so many actresses cry and there are no tears at all. I'm glad Brandon Routh recovered from superman. All in all this is a light and enjoyable Rom com that is light and fluffy and not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.