If people give this an average 6.3, as it stands now, it makes you wonder about the averages of other films. I recently saw both Falling for Christmas and I believe in Santa, the new Netflix Christmas movies. They currently stand at 5.2 and 4.5 respectively. If you compare this to those two, this should definitely have a higher average.
Better, more natural acting. And yes, that includes Jamie/Jennie. I see some people mentioning her eyes, but trust me, if you've just seen I believe in Santa, Jennie's acting is nice and real (indulge me - watch ten minutes of I believe in Santa, I dare you). In my opinion, that more natural acting also applies to the 'restrained' vibe Jamie has in the view of a reviewer. That reviewer said they would expect Jamie "bursting with holiday cheer", but if you expected that, you don't understand the premise. I found it very logical and realistic, her not being an over the top Christmas lover is part of the point of the film, I have no idea what premise would make one expect otherwise. It's this realism, this authenticity, this not overdoing it that appeals to me. The film is Christmassy in a more tasteful way with more natural decorations, not the incredibly tacky plastic AliExpress versions that i see in most new films. Surprised at the criticism about him being hurt by her not telling him; I thought that was well done and logical. If they hadn't been so involved, if it was just a neighbour or something, that hurt would have been misplaced. But dating and continuously talking about the secret Santa and not telling would not feel right to me either, from both perspectives. Nicely shot and produced, with everything looking real, including the shop/office, snow, scenery, etc. (that is one of my biggest issues with Christmas films and a realistic looking film without fake car rides, fake snow, fake backgrounds, fake streets, etc. Immediately gets a few extra points from me). Predictable, yes (I think we want our Christmas movies to be), but not overly corny or over the top. I was afraid people wouldn't respect her wish to remain anonymous, which would surely have happened not only in other Christmas movies but also in real life, because usually others decide what that person wants instead of the person itself, and was very pleased it didn't happen here.
There are only a few small things I would have done differently. The morning show logo is very 'my dad who has just started to use a computer made it'. There's no need to mansplain how crackers work and if you do, do it correctly. Apparently, they were meant to stand underneath mistletoe, but it wasn't mistletoe. It looked like holly but with white berries. The people who surprised the struggling family were standing way too close to the house to not be seen, and the video they supposedly took was done from much closer than that even. But if my only criticisms are these small things, they did well, in my opinion.
Pay it forward this Christmas, everyone.
Better, more natural acting. And yes, that includes Jamie/Jennie. I see some people mentioning her eyes, but trust me, if you've just seen I believe in Santa, Jennie's acting is nice and real (indulge me - watch ten minutes of I believe in Santa, I dare you). In my opinion, that more natural acting also applies to the 'restrained' vibe Jamie has in the view of a reviewer. That reviewer said they would expect Jamie "bursting with holiday cheer", but if you expected that, you don't understand the premise. I found it very logical and realistic, her not being an over the top Christmas lover is part of the point of the film, I have no idea what premise would make one expect otherwise. It's this realism, this authenticity, this not overdoing it that appeals to me. The film is Christmassy in a more tasteful way with more natural decorations, not the incredibly tacky plastic AliExpress versions that i see in most new films. Surprised at the criticism about him being hurt by her not telling him; I thought that was well done and logical. If they hadn't been so involved, if it was just a neighbour or something, that hurt would have been misplaced. But dating and continuously talking about the secret Santa and not telling would not feel right to me either, from both perspectives. Nicely shot and produced, with everything looking real, including the shop/office, snow, scenery, etc. (that is one of my biggest issues with Christmas films and a realistic looking film without fake car rides, fake snow, fake backgrounds, fake streets, etc. Immediately gets a few extra points from me). Predictable, yes (I think we want our Christmas movies to be), but not overly corny or over the top. I was afraid people wouldn't respect her wish to remain anonymous, which would surely have happened not only in other Christmas movies but also in real life, because usually others decide what that person wants instead of the person itself, and was very pleased it didn't happen here.
There are only a few small things I would have done differently. The morning show logo is very 'my dad who has just started to use a computer made it'. There's no need to mansplain how crackers work and if you do, do it correctly. Apparently, they were meant to stand underneath mistletoe, but it wasn't mistletoe. It looked like holly but with white berries. The people who surprised the struggling family were standing way too close to the house to not be seen, and the video they supposedly took was done from much closer than that even. But if my only criticisms are these small things, they did well, in my opinion.
Pay it forward this Christmas, everyone.