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Reviews
Belgravia: The Next Chapter (2024)
TERRIBLE LEADS
I am writing this review after watching just the first episode, so maybe, and hopefully, it gets better later on, but the opening episode was quite honestly terrible. I remember that the original series also lacked in quality and good acting and was thus cancelled originally, but this one is ever worse. It looks like some cheap Canadian weekend love movie with poor sets and rather dull costumes. Speaking of dull, just like in the second season of Fellowes' Gilded Age which was ruined by dark lighting this one also has natural lights which makes most of the scenes dull and lacking in any glitz and glamour. It makes the visuals very lifeless and I really hope they would stop using just natural lights in shows.
Acting is mostly subpar, Hallmark TV level, I am not sure why the two leads were cast, they have no chemistry together. They are both lost in every scene, have lack of acting talent and also screen presence and charisma. The only good and interesting actors are Liam Garrigan, Toby Regbo and Elaine Cassidy, and their characters fill up otherwise very boring series.
Hope it gets better as the episodes progress, but the first episode should be the one that draws you in and I am deliberating whether to even continue watching or not. After the atrocious Winter King this is the second major flop for MGM Plus this year, they should stick to good series like Domina not these cheap looking dramas with terrible casting choices and awful production degisn.
Christmas in Notting Hill (2023)
TERRIBLE FEMALE LEADS
I mean it is a Hallmark movie, we watch those for relaxations and escape into romantic fantasy, but I would expect at least some standards even in their productions. They have so many lovely actors so I do not understand how did they so fail with the casting in this one.
William Moseley and the actor that plays his brother are lovely, charming and talented, radiating with warmth and so is the rest of the cast. But the lead actress and her sister were beyond terrible, how did such two wooden actresses even pass the audition? Lead actress was lost in literally every scene, with idiotic facial expressions that we would expect in a high school not in a production from a worldwide popular channel. She was cringeworthy in literally every scene showing absolutely no charm nor acting skills, and of course she had no chemistry at all with always lovely Moseley. She just shows absolute disrespect towards the audience, her colleagues and Hallmark with her absolute lack of skill and preparedness.
The story itself is mostly ridiculous and boring, she is a gym class teacher but has never heard of a world famous footballer?
The rest of the cast was lovely, and I would like to mention Marcus Lamb who only appears in one scene at the beginning as Williams coach, but is still very magnetic and charming and I hope he gets some lead roles at Hallmark because he certainly has charisma for it.
A Not So Royal Christmas (2023)
ONLY GOOD THING IN IT IS WILL KEMP
This was definitely one of Hallmarks worst holiday films this festive season. I wanted to like it because royal element does ad nicely to the Christmas season, but the plot was just so ridiculous and implausible even for Hallmark standards. Also the supporting cast and the choice of supporting actors was not very natural and realistic. The fling between the leads was also rushed and lacked in chemistry.
Basically the only thing that kept that film from fully falling apart is always wonderful Will Kemp. He is always magnificent, whether he stars in big movies, expensive shows or just cheap little flicks like this one and it shows. When he is on screen he simply has that special radiance and in this one he added such a lovely comical thread to his character with lovely comedic timing. He is one of those actors that know what expression to put on in every scene even when he is not in the focus of the camera.
He and Julian Morris and Luke MacFarlane do deserve better films at Hallmark. The movie also had lovely costumes, which is not always the case at Hallmark. Would I watch it ever again, no. Would I not watch it if I knew it was this bad, no I would not. Did I fall asleep a few times watching it, yes I did.
Christmas by Design (2023)
AMAZING CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE LEADS
This is one of those enchanting little Hallmark films in which they got everything right, from creating the warm atmosphere without anything being too cheesy to nice, simple, but believable and charming storyline, and above all to wonderful casting.
They really got casting right in this one, actually I don't remember when was the last time I have seen such a brilliant pairing up of the leads. Both Rebecca Dalton and Jonathan Keltz are not just crazy beautiful and breathtakingly stunning, but they also both radiate with warmth and kindness. As somebody said she does not over act like some other Hallmark actresses and Keltz is just wonderfully charismatic and has always been magnetic and extremely likeable and here he was more than believable. Would love to see both of them more often on the small screens, together if possible. I think the last time I have seen such chemistry between the leads was in Notes of Autumn between Luke MacFarlane and Peter Porte.
Notes of Autumn (2023)
Amazing chemistry between Luke and Peter
It was a typical Hallmark movie, nothing overly special but still cute. For me the main quality of this one was the amazing chemistry between two brilliant actors Luke MacFarlane and Peter Porte, they just both radiate with kindness and warmth in this movie and make probably the best pairing ever seen on Hallmark. They have so much crazy chemistry that my suggestion would be for Hallmark to make another movie with their characters with Peter opening his restaurant and Luke writing a cookbook for him, it could further develop and cover their love story which was only just superficially shown here. Their two characters and them as a duo definitely deserve another movie together, such chemistry should not be wasted. Wish the focus was more on them and not the other couple. Marcus was great, but Ashley is a bit too over the top and gimmicky in her acting.
A Christmas to Treasure (2022)
BETTER CASTING CHOICE
Although the plot is silly and highly implausible, the film is cute enough to watch and enjoy, but my problem was with the lack of chemistry between the two leads who are apparently married privately, there was just no passion between them.
I think that if the lead role of Austin was given to Roberto Aguire who played Ricky, there would have been more chemistry between Austin and Everett. In all the scenes Aguire and Kyle Dean Massey had together there was an undeniable chemistry between them and I just wanted for them to kiss. Sadly, Aguire just played his friend. The two of them would have made an amazing and very believable couple together on the screens.