Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
gehewe
The excellent story just carries the emotions in this movie. I was fully engaged the whole time even through the traditional elements (ice skating, ginger bread house making, tree trimming). Loved the movie. Willa the single mom was played perfectly by Autumn Reeser. I think this may have been a good role for Lacey Chabert as well. Finn (David Haydn-Jones) is an illustrator of Willa's son's favorite book. The interaction between the 3 was just perfect. The use of the sketching was effective. The cast also includes Teryl Rothery who was great in Christmas Getaway (2017). She is always a delight to see but in this movie she played the limping aunt of Bramble house maybe to the detriment of the movie. We also have 2 others who played in Cedar Cove. These 3 supporting cast roles is probably why I did not score it a 10.
Reno Rangan
Just as I thought watching Christmas films are over, only the real Christmas is what left to enjoy, I came across with this film. This is a last moment review written in the week of Christmas eve. The reason I liked was, it is another Christmas film based on the book of the same name. I think Hallmark should adapt books more often. The original screenplays are almost nothing. No innovation, not interesting enough. But literature based films like this makes a lot sense to watch. With an artistic presentation, the depth in characters and events, the story is well convincing.Well, the story is not new. We all know it, especially how it's going to turn out at the end. But that's not the issue. How much you are satisfied with the way it all were told matters. So apart from a good story, the actors and director too makes an impact. I think it all worked out well for this. Yet there was a small drawback that towards the end of the second act, the story dried up. I mean literally when all the important matter was sorted out, the rest of the narration till the final twist was simply a drag. A time killer with casual scenes.-xX] Look around you, and then close your eyes. Put everything you just saw into your brain like a picture. That way, you can keep it, even after we've gone. [Xx-Willa, a single mother and her young boy is all set to enjoy their Christmas in the Bramble house BnB. On the other side of the tale, Finn disappointed with his father who had died weeks ago, left nothing to him, but for a stranger, Willa. So he decides to find out the reason and confront her with a legal option. Now, on the eve of the Christmas week, they meet at the Bramble house and develop an unexpected relationship with mother and son. Once the truth ready to get out, what happens and how the story would end was told quite nicely.The character Finn looked good, but with a bad intention in his mind makes a villain, at least in the beginning. The actor who played it kind looked expressionless, even when he smiled. As the story went on, he looked better. Maybe I got used to it. Because slowly his behaviour has changed, leaving us to expect, how he would react at the end. You know without making something into a complicate, there's no end twist. In this, it was his identity and purpose of meeting Willa. That character makes this tale possible. But Willa is the one mysterious until she reveal about her life, particularly the secret about her son.One of the good Christmas films of this season I've seen. More importantly, it emotionally get us. That's crucial if the film is aimed for families. Of course not without romance theme, otherwise these things won't work, but it was not focused on that thing alone. Mixing the festival occasion, romance, and personal life was neatly done. So if you want to watch a Christmas film, this won't be a bad pick. But as I always say, this is a television film, so be compromised on the overall perspective of the product and enjoy.7/10
zyxnix
Autumn Reeser is fairly hot in this movie, great hair but not much of a bod. She really wears nothing sexy at all. Big disappointment. I kid you not but the lady who plays the innkeeper is actually a scene stealer. I would watch a movie about her. It's a fairly original story line. I could live with it. Watch it again? I wouldn't just because there is not enough going on. Finally, the kid is annoying and kind of weird.
Christmas-Reviewer
While settling his father's estate, Finn Conrad becomes suspicious as to why the man left a nurse $1000,000. Just before Christmas, Finn wants what to reclaim what he considers his family's money, going undercover to investigate the nurse who is know vacationing at a bed and breakfast which happened to be paid for by his dad. I have become a huge David Haydn-Jones fan. I have seen him in a few Christmas movies now and he is one of the best.What was nice about this story is "Nobody" in this film comes across as a villain but in reality there is one. My problem with this film is that the deceased father abandoned his children and never saw them again.
