My rating: ???

A Belle for Christmas is a family Christmas film, with Dean Cain as a widower with 2 children, and a new girlfriend that the children don’t like very much.

This film made me think of The Parent Trap, with the new girlfriend playing the part of the villain. In the Parent Trap, the girlfriend’s plan is to send the twins off to boarding school.  In this film, it’s to get rid of the dog as she’s allergic.

It did make me think of Christmas, as there were Christmas events happening throughout the film.  All in all, it was a funny romp, with some cheesy acting, and probably I’d probably skip seeing again as it really is aimed at children.

My rating: ???

Mr Christmas aka The Perfect Christmas Present is about Tom, whose job is to find the perfect present for your mother, brother, or in this case, an old fraternity brother’s girlfriend.  

Tom does this by immersing himself in how the person thinks, so he can know the person very well.  What’s especially stark is the boyfriend not knowing his girlfriend, and forever dashing off to meetings or working out, and so you get the impression he’s not making the effort with her.

This felt more like a romcom than a Christmas film.  It was about Tom getting to know Jenny, and falling for her.  It’s interesting writing these reviews as I reflect on what the films make me remember as I write about them, and there’s often a Christmas scene that I remember.  I’m really struggling with this one!

I think my conclusion on this is that it was an enjoyable film, but not a Christmas one. It was light and funny in places, but it was also pretty cheesy, which isn’t always a negative!

My rating: ??

Yes, that’s not a good amount of bells, is it!

It wasn’t a very good film, either!

Poppy has taken over her grandmother’s flower shop, and is struggling financially.  Then she hears about a Christmas floristry show that she can enter and win prize money that can help her stay open.  

Garrett Hurley works at a large floristry firm (I’m writing this, and I’m still not convinced, and we’ve not gotten to the best part yet), where he sits in a suit, and draws pictures of floristry arrangements (nearly there), because that’s his job (there we go!).  Yes, I wasn’t sure what was going on either.  

But, Garrett is one of Poppy’s competitor’s at the floristry show.  And of course, they fall for each other.  

I think one of my other issues with the film is summed up by the fact that her van breaks down all the time, and her mechanic can magically come and fix it wherever, and that when she calls him to come and stand as part of her team (yes, apparently she needed backup more than her father, her friend/employee…she needed the mechanic), he rushed over not knowing why, and then agreed to stand there so that the team didn’t look small.  The floristry show was more important than his livelihood.

Suspension of disbelief is fine, but this film wanted to bounce me out of that in the above ways.  It was ok on the Christmas feel, but that was because they were making floral displays about Christmas themes.

My verdict is, skip it, delete it, go watch something else.  Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen, ok?!

My review: ????

A Christmas to Remember has a successful TV personality (think Martha Stewart esque for the crafting, cooking, baking and making your home a home type) is going away for Christmas to have some time to relax, and try to remember that Christmas is more than just work.

Except, her car slides off the road, she knocks her head, and forgets everything!  She’s rescued by a local widower vet, and taken home to his children where she starts to bring back some of the magic of Christmas for them, whilst trying to remember who she is.

A little like Overboard, but they don’t lie to her, or make her do things she doesn’t want to do!

I enjoyed the film!  It was Christmasy, funny and good chemistry!

My rating: ????

Hello, and yes, I’m going for 1 film a day throughout December, and I’m not regretting my life choices (she says, on day 2!).

Happily, I’m starting doing this with a backlog of films to tell you about, as I’ve been recording and watching them in November, and my DVR box is looking pretty full, which can only mean there’s more Christmas films to tell you about!

Enough about the behind the scenes of this, and more about this film!

A Gingerbread Romance was a great film as far as Christmas films go!

Taylor is an architect who believes her way is the best way.  She’s very used to moving around as she’s done it her whole life, and she’s up for a promotion which will mean another city.  But, for Christmas, she’s at home, and her architecture firm wants her to take part in a life size gingerbread house competition, and to work with a baker to do this.

Adam is a talented baker in a very repetitive role at a bakery.  He dreams of one day having his own bakery.  He gets dragged into helping Taylor with the gingerbread house competition, and he and his young daughter helps Taylor to remember what Christmas is about.

This did make me feel like it was Christmas, and whilst I winced at the piping, I did enjoy the story!

My review: ???

Channel 5 in the UK has been showing at least 1 Christmas film a day since the beginning of November.  I’ve recorded a lot of them, and thought we could have some fun with Christmas film of the day throughout December!

We’re going to go in the order that I’ve watched them, and yes, I’ve got a little list that I’ve been keeping track of it all on!

I’ve decided to have my rating in bells, because I think Christmas films have their own standards, and it’s Christmas-y!

Starting us off is My Christmas Prince.  Very similar name to the Netflix film series (A Christmas Prince, from 2017), I know, but welcome to Christmas films!  You’re going to notice some similarities as we go along!

Samantha and her boyfriend Alex are happy in New York, but it’s Christmas, so she wants to go home, and he decides to follow her.  Alex hasn’t told her exactly who he is – not just an ambassador, but the Crown Prince of a small European country.

She shows him her small town Christmas, and he unwittingly shows her what it would be like to be royal, along with the paparazzi and invasion of privacy.

This is a made for TV movie from 2017, and it was OK.  It didn’t make me feel very Christmas-y, but it involved a lot of Christmas activities.

Not one I would bother watching again, but it was fine as background.

Title wise, as it’s so similar to the Netflix films, I’m not going to hold this against either as we know films of the same type of name, about the same things are common, for example; Antz and A Bug’s Life, The Illusionist and The Prestige and Churchill and The Darkest Hour.

I hope you enjoyed