Natale a Mistletoe Lake

The plot is fairly standard but the setting for this Christmas movie is original, although I'd have preferred to see more of the scenery to really appreciate it fully. There's a really good mix of ages/generations, ethnicities, relationship status and work/life contexts etc so I think a lot of people could relate in one form or another. I like that the 'kid' is slightly older than in many of these films and that she has her own storyline. I'd say overall it is a bit funnier than most festive productions - I wonder if the marsh mallow toasting scene was actually ad libbed at the end because their laughter and goofiness felt on a different level.

The story here avoids a lot of the usual formula plot lines. There are hints of some, but it doesn't hit you over the head with them. Except for one.

Big developers bad. Preserving the small town good.

The writers try to manufacture a lot of emotion from the characters that just didn't grab me and motivate me. Young Emma wants to go to an elite design school. The story tries to create the feeling of need and deprivation. The viewer is supposed to think how great a tragedy it would be if she can't go. It's not the idea, it's the degree to which they go.

Reilly is an attractive character played fairly well by Genelle Williams. She is pretty unselfish. So much so that she repeatedly blames herself for things she shouldn't. One of those is that she considers herself selfish for staging homes rather than helping people make real homes for themselves where they can be happy to live. Again, the story tries to manufacture great emotion over something that just didn't resonate with me.

Williams and Corey Sevier are OK together, but I had a little trouble rooting for Reilly to end up with Ray. Like so often is the case, Williams had more chemistry with Hattie Kragten who plays Emma. I was disappointed with Robin Dunne.

By the end of the movie, they have gone way past sappy, which has usually been good for me, into being extremely cheesy.

Neither of the leads can sing. The scene where Reilly and Ray sing in the bar is horrendous. They could have pulled off the hamminess if either of them could have carried a tune.

All of the ubiquitous clichés are here yet again. How many ways can you say the same thing over and over again? Apparently thousands with Hallmark. Ho hum. I think I missed my calling in life. I could have been a writer for Hallmark (Lifetime, etc.) movies. Same plot used over and over, just change the leading characters' names, the ___location and the movie title and voila! Another Christmas snoozer. Easiest job in the world. I need to see if they are hiring.

Don't waste your time with this one.