Noël au château

source: Chateau Christmas

One of the worst Hallmark movies I've ever seen. This movie hit the checklist for tropes in a Hallmark movie. Baking, old high school sweethearts, the woman moves to the big city and the guy stays in a small town, public tree lighting ceremony, Santa Claus, pointless story Roadblocks and crappy acting. The subplot is stupid and he's only there to add to the musical theme. The musical group in a subplot honestly could've gone back together they wanted to, and it seems like they didn't. When they get back together for the end concert it only seems like a one-time thing and can't happen again unless the two main characters are with them. In my opinion the subplot was only there to serve the two main characters. You can obviously tell the actors are actually playing the music and it seems like the director doesn't care to hide the fact. Leading man sucks at acting and should go back to his job as a manager at Kohl's. Every scene seems like it was filmed in one take.

The one mostly uncommon aspect of this movie is the instrumental performances of Christmas music with a classical flavor. Much of the rest of the story is the usual stuff revolving around the lead characters' quest for musicians to fill slots for a big concert. As for developments in the plot, most of them were telegraphed taking away much of the surprise. I thought the movie tried too hard at times and overplayed some things where a little more subtlety might have worked better. One example is the repeated influence of the critic, Evelyn. By now, Merritt Patterson is one of Hallmark's veterans, at age 30. She is talented and beautiful with eyes that capture the viewers' attention. Luke MacFarlane, at age 40, is equally a Hallmark veteran. I wish I thought their chemistry was great, but I'd give it more of a C grade. Margot, Patterson's character, is supposed to be a reserved professional concert performer and that's what we get - reserved. One aspect which I thought was quite striking was Patterson's dress for the concert. It fit the tone perfectly. It was classically beautiful. BTW observation: I would be curious to know if any of the actors contributed with the instruments they appeared to play. I don't expect so, but I would be pleasantly surprised if they did. PS after second viewing - for me this movie fails the test - do I want to watch it over and over. After second time through, despite my like for both leads, I have no desire to watch this again.

Acting was fine. Leads were mismatched but ok. But man, this was as boring as watching paint dry. zzzz

I really liked this one. How could I not with Jesse Hutch AND Luke Macfarlane in it. I wish he would just realise he loves me already and leave Wentworth. I didn't like Jesse's new haircut though. It's a sweet story and I loved the musical element of it. Sometimes I wish these films were a bit more like "Glee" and showed the concerts in a bit more detail. It's got all that Christmas fun, the romance, the reuniting of estranged lovers and beautifully played seasonal songs. I've probably scored it high, because of Luke and Jesse, but they are lovely guys!

I was all too excited to see this movie mostly because of Luke Macfarlane whom I absolutely enjoy watching even outside of Hallmark movies. If this review was just based on him being in the movie then the rating would have been a definite 20/10 :-) Merritt Patterson I've seen in other Hallmark movies and it's really nice to see her grow and mature into each of the roles that she's played thus far. She was a delight in this movie, I will continue to watch out for any of her upcoming roles. The storyline was more or less the same as past Hallmark movies. There was the ex bf/gf bumping into each other after breaking up years ago so that one party can go and live their dream while the other stays in the hometown. There is regret for the decision and love still lingers between the two ex-lovebirds. There were also various coincidences that seemed too coincidental. What I did enjoy was the peel away from the normal jobs that are used....writer, business owner, high profile corporate, journalist, artist, photographer, etc, etc, etc. I also liked that it didn't end in the normal fashion either....one person giving up their life to be with the other but instead both have an understanding and leaving it to be seen where the relationship can go given the already established careers. All this made the movie feel like fresh air whooping back in after the stale air settled for a long time. Though there could have been a little more romance between the two characters, this movie was a charming one to watch. I'll definitely give this one a watch again.

This Hallmark holiday romance tells the story of two exes who have been apart for years. She has become a world-celebrated pianist who constantly travels. He has settled into a teaching job. They meet again at Chateau Neuhaus during the Christmas season, and she agrees to perform for the Christmas program. The chemistry between the two is believable. And the acting, in general, is adequate, even if the roles are not so demanding. The story is quite nice, especially when it veers into a side story about the reunion of a long-defunct musical quartet. My one complaint about the film is that the musician characters are not convincing as performers who actually play their instruments. And one piano piece is distractingly substandard if viewed within the context of virtuoso music. On the other hand, Merritt Patterson, who plays pianist Margot Hammond, is the highlight of the film. She is beautiful and she exudes great energy. Luke Macfarlane, who plays her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, matches up with her well.

We enjoyed this film; hubby is a big fan of Merritt Patterson, I enjoy watching Luke MacFarlane! I'm going to repeat my traditional complaint: Could you please find a hairdresser that doesn't give every female ringlets in her hair!?! Little girls maybe wear ringlets, but ADULT women can get their hair styled like adults!!! I'm so tired of every female wearing silly ringlets!! Thank goodness Merritt Patterson wears an ADULT hairstyle!

4/10 - piano-fueled Christmas show is bland and instantly forgettable

Such a lovely movie, "so simple yet charming" is the best way to describe it. The story is somewhat different but still very familiar to most Hallmark movies, but that's not a bad thing. The musical aspects of the movie gave it an original direction, something more than the standard event planner or bakery angle. But the best thing about this movie is without a doubt the actors, Margot (Merritt Patterson) is just unbelievable as always, every one of her lines radiates charm effortlessly, as for her co-star Jackson (Luke Macfarlane) he compliments her perfectly, this is definitely one of his better performances. Another strong aspect of this movie is the supporting cast, without a doubt one of the better ones i have seen in a while, nothing extraordinary, just plain good acting all around with no exception. I would strongly recommend seeing this delightful movie. 6.9 out of 10 stars.