Christopher Russell

Santa Tell Me

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Hallmark Christmas meets Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

For a long time, I wasn’t all that much of a fan of Erin Krakow, but in her last several movie she has really won me over. When the script has been good, she has delivered her lines with aplomb, and handled both the comedy and the little dramatic moments with expertise. At times she has been downright hilarious. I don’t notice her resting face, which I think of as “wholesome placidity” too much anymore. And she really won me over when, in the last Hallmark she was in, she washed off all of her makeup before going to bed. The last few Saturday night #CountdownToChristmas premiers have been very good, and this one was no exception. The script was amusing with some good lines and good physical comedy, a little mystery and tension, and a bit of paranormal activity, otherwise know as Christmas Magic. The acting was excellent from the whole cast. Although I am not a “Heartie” (fan of the long running Hallmark series, When Calls the Heart) I know that the reunion of Elizabeth, played by Ms. Krakow, and her late and, lately, very lamented Mountie/husband, Jack, played by the male lead in this one, Daniel Lissing, has been much ballyhooed.

Olivia is an interior designer who works behind the scenes on the “Style Home Network.” Classic Hallmark female profession. She is tapped to host a Christmas Special, and if she pulls it off successfully, she will get her own series. Again, classic. However, to her dismay they are putting the creator of a raunchy reality show, “Model Home”, (about many fashion models living together in one house) in charge. His name is Chris, and they immediately get off on the wrong foot and rub each other the wrong way from the get go. Enemies to Lovers. Check. He has the bright idea of choosing Olivia’s dilapidated childhood home for the big makeover, and Olivia reluctantly goes along with it after much protest. While doing some preliminary work on her old home with her sister, i.e. drinking wine (favorite Hallmark drink other than hot cocoa), they see a strange glow coming from a kind of cupboard and hear the tinkling of bells. When they investigate, they find an envelope addressed to Olivia and inside a childhood letter she wrote asking Santa for the name of her one true love. Also enclosed is a blank sheet of paper,  and to her shock words start magically writing themselves in gold saying that her true love’s name is “Nick.” Santa is writing back 25 years later! Remember Harry Potter opening Tom Riddle’s diary and seeing the writing spookily form by itself? That’s exactly what it looked like! Or the writing inside the One Ring to Rule Them All. Or Dolores Umbridge’s blood quill writing on the back of Harry’s hand, for that matter. Olivia declares it poppycock, and throws the magical letter in the garbage! Can you imagine? That’s when I knew that this, despite the cliches, might go purposely just far enough off the rails to be interesting. Because seriously? A glowing tinkling self-writing letter right out of Chamber of Secrets only from Santa, and she throws it in the trash? (Twice?!)

Right off the bat, she “meets cute” with three guys named Nick, two of which are big Hallmark stars in their own right. This is another thing Hallmark has been doing lately. All three are instantaneously smitten, lucky for her. One is a pediatric surgeon with Doctors Without Borders who once had to tame a reindeer to get medicine to sick children (really), and the other is a master carpenter whose work Olivia has always admired. The other one is a hot fireman calendar dude (never a serious contender.) While she is dating all 3 secretly (because now she believes one of them is her soulmate-she just needs to figure out which one) she and Chris get to know each other better and start to fall for each other. But Chris’s name is not Nick so that’s a problem, especially since she has realized that none of the three Nicks is really right for her. It all comes to a disastrous head on live TV during her Christmas Special.

Virtually everyone in the  supporting cast seemed to have a lot of fun with their roles, especially Benjamin Ayers and Christopher Russell as Nick A and Nick B. Jess Brown as Olivia’s sister had some nice moments as did Russell Roberts as a subtle Santa figure. When Hallmark shows they don’t take themselves too seriously by injecting some self-deprecating humor and inside jokes into the proceedings, it always plays well with me. And this one includes a healthy amount of that with the Magic Santa, the names of the male characters, their professions, the meet-cutes (coffee spillage!), and all sorts of little details. **Spoiler Alert** Chris’s real first name is Nick. Chris is his middle name. **End spoiler** No cliche is left by the wayside, but in a fun way. I give this one an “8” and that’s 7 in a row, if I round one up, which is some kind of record.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

A Costa Rican Wedding

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Rescued

This movie is an easy target for grumpy reviewers because it features a lead girl who is a real ditz and clumsy to boot. Now clumsy is one thing. Done right it can be cute. And ditzy can also be cute. (Sadly too many female-centric movies to mention). But combine them together and things will get very irritating very fast. Here is one example out of a whole grab bag. Emily knocks our hero’s cell phone off the boat right before they are going to venture alone into dangerous waters (Clumsy). She doesn’t tell him what happened leaving them cut off from civilization on their expedition (Ditzy and Stupid). Together: insufferable. And I’m not even going to go into her self-hating obsession with her cheating ex-boyfriend. There. I’m done.

Emily’s best friend Phoebe has defied her mother’s dream of a traditional country-club wedding for her daughter and has opted for a beach wedding in beautiful Costa Rica. This was a source of drama I wish they had devoted more time to. Emily, being the maid of honor, has arranged for the accommodations and planned out the fun activities for the bridal party. Which is quite the head-scratcher as we are treated  to a retrospective of the various ways in which Emily’s ways have wreaked havoc in their lives. And the bizarre topper is that Phoebe has put Emily in charge of the priceless vintage wedding rings which are part of her family’s tradition and a legacy from her great grandmother. Guess what happens. I won’t tell you but it involves a jungle, a kleptomaniac monkey, and a volcano. I exaggerate for effect. A volcano is not actually involved but it is hinted at as a vague threat.

Costa Rica is really beautiful. I can see why so many Americans retire there. Going by this Hallmark movie, there doesn’t appear to be any of the grinding poverty so on display in other Central American countries. I enjoyed the scenery. Speaking of scenery, Christopher Russell plays Ryan, the groom’s best friend and the love interest for Emily, played by popular Rhiannon Fish. He is a tour guide there in Costa Rica who has already had to step in to upgrade the Emily-arranged accommodations for the party (why didn’t the bridal couple put him in charge to begin with?) Emily is offended, which is par for the course as relations between them have always been tense because she thinks he doesn’t like her and he thinks she doesn’t like him. When Emily absentmindedly leaves the priceless wedding bands in her pink backpack hanging from a tree branch on the edge of  the jungle and the backpack is stolen by the previously mentioned monkey, their adventure begins. Meanwhile, the rest of the wedding party and Momzilla are left to enjoy their Costa Rican dream wedding weekend while consumed by worry and fear for the maid of honor and the groom’s best friend apparently lost in the deadly jungle and mysteriously incommunicado.

I was prepared to really dislike this movie, but Rhiannon Fish did quite well with a character that was very grating on the nerves throughout most of the story.  And of course Christopher Russell’s impossibly handsome presence is always a port in a storm. I used to wish Hallmark would give him some roles that were more challenging, complex, and against his usual mensch-y good-guy type. And they have, rarely, but when the chips are down his calm and authentically nice (if vaguely amused) presence has saved many a Hallmark from disaster in my eyes. I appreciated the love and loyalty shared by Phoebe and Emily (despite Emily almost killing her with a smoothie on her first day in Costa Rica) And this one ended strongly with hapless Emily actually saving the day from a crushing blow, for once, not of her making. So this one, full of rescues of one sort or another, also rescued itself. I’m rounding up to a “7”, because I almost want to watch it (ahem Christopher Russell) again.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

The Secret Gift of Christmas

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A Gift Wrapped Christmas 2.0

In catching some of the previews for The Secret Gift of Christmas, I was struck by the similarities which appeared to be between it and one of my favorite Christmas TV movies, Lifetime’s 2015 flick, A Gift Wrapped Christmas. To start off with, here are the opening scenes in both movies:

Come on now. And their jaunty walks are identical.

In both, a cheerful force-of-nature type woman is a personal shopper, for those that can afford such a thing. Their clients are primarily business owners and corporate types who must impress their colleagues and clients at Christmas (and other occasions, presumably).  As the movie went on the similarities continued to be striking. Both shoppers (Bonnie and Gwen) take great pride in their work and are really committed to finding the perfect gifts that will amaze and delight. They are both hired by workaholic single-Dad widowers who do not spend enough time with their attention starved children. They are still dealing with the deaths of their wives and are closed off from moving forward. Both do not want the shoppers to go outside the box with the gifts and just want them to buy boring and impersonal under-the-radar type things like plants or mugs. In both movies their instructions are ignored and Bonnie and Gwen find gifts so special and perfect for the giftees that the result is great good will, effusive thanks, and big business wins for their handsome clients. At first very skeptical and resistant, they are won over. Both men even let the women revitalize their boring wardrobes. Not stopping there, the women both grow close to the men’s children and forge ahead to repair their personal lives. It isn’t long before their relationships with their kids are on the right track, and stuffy attitudes are melting away. Both Gwen and Bonnie both have supportive sisters who want more for them than just their work, and absent parents though for different reasons. And, needless to say, clients and the personal shoppers start falling in love. In both cases, this raises the ire of a jealous other woman and we have conflict and misunderstandings.

In the end, there are just enough differences between the two to avoid a copyright infringement lawsuit. Although I am not a lawyer. Bonnie uses shopping to fill the void left by the death of her mother and she is estranged from her father. Gwen is just great at shopping for others and her mother is a free-spirited world traveler. At the end the couples are brought back together by different things. Gwen goes to her clients cabin to deliver his son’s most yearned for Christmas wish, a sled. And in the 2023 version, Patrick, Bonnie’s client, finds and returns a beloved Angel necklace she thought she had lost forever. Bonnie had some work to do on herself, as she was kind of on the verge of being a shopaholic. She learns that “presence” is more important that “presents”, thanks to a last minute appearance of a magic Santa Claus. Gwen was just a shining star and had no issues whatsoever to work on, to my memory.

A Gift Wrapped Christmas was a 10 for me and this new one was a 7. As good a job as Meghan Ory did as Bonnie channelling Meredith Hagner as Gwen, she couldn’t compare with Meredith Hagner’s portrayal in the first version. She was not a breath of fresh air, but a tsunami. The 2023 movie one did have Christopher Russell who was as handsome and authentically nice and sweet as ever. I was getting kind of worried I wouldn’t see him in a Hallmark Christmas movie this year. So I would have to give The Secret Gift of Christmas the nod for the male lead. I do want to acknowledge the excellent job by the actress who played CR’s daughter. She struck just the right balance between eliciting both our sympathy and our admiration. She was never a Debbie Downer about not seeing enough of her father, but always upbeat, frank, and wise beyond her years. All in all, for a story that was basically a copy of an old Lifetime movie, it was well done, and I enjoyed it.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

PS. I recently saw that the powers that be eventually did credit the story writer which, indeed, was the same for both movies. The script writers are different. This was not on IMDb when I wrote this review because I specifically looked for such a credit. IMDb credits often dribble in long after the premiere, which is unfortunate. So in the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I wanted to add this note to my original review.

September 26, 2024

Midnight Masquerade

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One of My Absolute Favorites!

I love this one. I gave it a “10” years ago and have seen it multiple times since. Autumn Reiser is lovely and charming and because of this movie, I have always given her the benefit of the doubt in subsequent roles. Christopher Russell is adorable and sexy in the “Cinderfella” role. His appeal usually rests with his chemistry with his costars and it couldn’t have been better in this, one of his first Hallmark roles. He usually is a bit passive in his starring roles, but it really works in this one.

As the Cinderella storyline requires, Rob is bullied and taken advantage of throughout most of the movie. This is quite painful to watch and almost took a little shine off of the romance. When he finally grew a backbone and stood up for himself and did the right thing, it was a huge relief. As his Niece/Fairy godmother says, he is “just too nice.”

The parallels between the Cinderella story and the role reversal in this one were cleverly done. Autumn Reeser, as the “Prince Charming” figure can’t stand her high heels, so she carries them around with her instead of wearing them whenever she can. She is the daughter of a corporate magnate who is training her to take over the business. She is strong and smart and down to earth. The wicked stepmother and stepsisters are the head partner and his two sons of her corporate attorneys. Oooooh, they are horrible and evil! Rob is a lawyer who slaves for them while they take all the credit for his hard work. Again, that part was maddening. The casting of Christopher Russell as the put-upon drudge saved the character from being a weak wimp. Ok, he was a weak wimp, but CR is so tall and good-looking that it actually made him more relatable and human.

Anyway, the writing, the plot, and the cast all come together in this romance-centric Hallmark in which everything works. Not a weak link in it!

Rating: 10 out of 10.

February 14, 2021

The Most Colorful Time of the Year

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Red, Green, and All the Rest

Last year, and especially this year, Hallmark started to push the envelope as far as venturing out beyond its safe and standard bone-tired plots, and this one is no exception. A secretly color-blind teacher meets an ophthalmologist, the single mother of one of his students, who sees through his lifelong tricks and strategies to disguise his disability. She enters him into a clinical trial without his consent after he tells her he is not interested once his subterfuges have been discovered. Although most definitely unethical and an invasion of privacy I can almost give her a pass on this because he doesn’t fully understand what he is missing in life. See, he is not only color-confused (red and green or blue and yellow being indistinguishable from each other,) but totally unable to see any color whatsoever. Also, it’s stupid he is not interested. Why wouldn’t he be interested? He’s a science teacher. Just because nothing has worked before, trying on a pair of glasses is hardly a surgical procedure or taking an untested drug. But it was wrong of her, it must be said. The way the whole color-blindness thing is handled is lazy and irresponsible. His condition is very rare, while the other is a fairly common condition that indeed can be mitigated by special glasses of the sort that are provided by this clinical trial. Monochromia would be impossible scientifically to correct with glasses due to the cause of the condition.  Maybe this could be partially excused by deeming this cure part of a “clinical trial” but it is as far-fetched and as far from being science-based as a pill to cure alcoholism would be. In other words, the idea was interesting but the execution and details lacked authenticity to put it kindly. It is another example of Hallmark seeming like they have contempt for their viewers by glossing over unrealistic plot points that actually could potentially be harmful, hurtful, and deceitful if taken seriously.

 To make matters worse this movie is sponsored by a company that makes the aforementioned glasses that mitigate color confusion in some people with lots of emotional videos of people acting like they once were blind and now can see. So they’re using the emotions that might be generated by this movie to burnish and exaggerate the benefits of their product that has nothing to do with the disability portrayed. Or maybe they were not aware of the nature of the color blindness depicted in this movie and got manipulated to buy ad space. Whatever, someone did wrong.

Once he finally tries on the glasses and his world is changed, there really isn’t anywhere else to go with it, other than going around looking at colorful scenes. Featuring mostly red and green. So it falls back on the usual tropes once the color-blindness thing is out of the way leading to the inevitable big misunderstanding. In this case, an over-eager wanna-be girlfriend and a more psycho and controlling stalker ex-boyfriend with whom both leads are too nice and patient. The good doctor even lets him invite himself to her child’s Christmas pageant. The ex-boyfriend bit could have actually been a lot more entertaining if he had gotten punched in the nose by our hero when he crudely twitted him about his pay as a middle-school teacher.  However, instead, our hero chose to deliver a lecture that seemed to suggest that teachers did not need fair pay, cuz it’s “a calling” and they don’t care about the money. Very noble, but I know a few teachers that would disagree with that.  

It’s not a secret that I have a soft spot for Christopher Russell. But I have to say, in some ways he was the wrong choice for this one. Of course, he fit the profile of the super nice super handsome school teacher who has all of his fellow teachers and single mothers falling all over themselves. I think I can safely theorize this aspect was added to the script when CR was cast. Because his handsomeness cannot be ignored and left unaddressed. Anyway, he should stick with the Cary Grant or Clark Gable-type roles where charm and good looks are more important than range of emotion. When he put on those glasses and saw color for the first time a lot more was required as far as an emotional reaction. On the positive side, Katrina Bowden was very good as the caring but over-stepping doctor, and her daughter was also very good. CR was believable and endearing as a committed teacher who was definitely overqualified for his job. Best of all though was Joanna Douglas as Heidi, the lead’s supportive sister. Hey Hallmark! Lock this girl in and promote her from supportive sister/friend to head girl. STAT!

Rating: 5 out of 10.

Yellowstone Romance

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Wacky Fun

After being away for work, Olivia returns to New York City and finds her best friend and roommate, Amber, engaged to a guy she’s only known for a few months. Olivia disapproves. Amber is a city girl and a ditz. Her new fiance is a rancher and Amber will be following him to the boondocks. Olivia thinks (rightly) that Amber does not know what she is getting into. In the guise of a “bachelorette retreat,” She takes Amber to a working Dude ranch along with their other best friend, Jason, to give her a taste of what is in store for her. Olivia selfishly does not want to lose her best friend and roommate, but she also is genuinely concerned.

What follows is kind of a hoot. First, the trio arrives at the ranch dressed in New York City’s idea of what is proper ranch wear. It is a cute visual. They are greeted by the ranch owner and his son, played by Christopher Russell.  Christopher’s natural fallback position in his roles is laid-back and easy-going. He was perfectly cast in this role as the strong but silent cowboy who is unhappily roped into taking care of the “citidiots” and showing them a good time as well as a taste of authentic ranch life. The “Dude” part of the dude ranch is just until his Dad makes the extra money to pay the back taxes.   It’s all wacky fun while the three take on getting up at the crack of dawn, camping, horse riding, egg-gathering (and breaking), fence repair, cattle herding, barn dancing, wolf and bear avoiding, etc.

To Olivia’s surprise and frustration Amber is game for everything and her enthusiasm never flags. Except when she is attacked in a river by a leech. And who can blame her for that? Cowboy Travis is exasperated but is very good at hiding his annoyance at the situation, and it’s not long before the trio’s good humor and effort earn his respect and liking. The actress who played Olivia really grew on me and had great chemistry with Christopher Russell. Amber and their friend Jason were funny, and Christopher was in his element. And when CR is on point, he is the bomb-diggity.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

May 18, 2022

Chasing Waterfalls

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Chasing but not Finding

This was a very boring story with a good cast. I usually like Cindy, but as usual, she doesn’t have much to work with here. And unfortunately, she seemed very stiff with Christopher Russell who is gorgeous as usual but really needs some spark with his co-stars to bring him to life when the script does not give him anything else to work with. She did have a good scene on the phone with her boss though.

Speaking of the script, how do I count the ways that this fell off the cliff (pun intended)? One line comparing a mythical waterfall to a unicorn was used twice. Speaking of which, she found this legendary waterfall which is so elusive explorers believe it doesn’t even exist without even breaking a sweat. It turns out was within a few hours hike from a busy lodge. She led the world of waterfall enthusiasts to another hard-to-find fall that she promised to keep secret. Her boss betrayed her and put in the GPS coordinates with the photographs she published in the magazine. We never find out what the outcome of that was. Do the sightseers leave a trail of litter, or do they respect the sacred place? She doesn’t quit in anger, like she should have, and is going on to her next assignment. If she changes her mind, we never know about it. Will she continue on with her dream of being a professional photographer, or will she quit and stay with Christopher and his daughter now that he’s not mad at her anymore? He was about to send a chopper to the secret location of the mythic waterfall, by the way, when they talked about how secret it was throughout the movie. Another silly lapse in the writing.

Nice scenery though. And in a first for Hallmark, at the end, they are planning to spend the night together in the same tent. We have to assume, since it is Hallmark, that this means she is going to quit her job and be a wife and mommy (since his ex travels and leaves their daughter with him most of the time. And why should he take on another one of those situations?) It all ends very vaguely.

Rating: 5 out of 10.

March 23, 2021

Where Your Heart Belongs

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Dreadful

This was dreadful. Jen Lilley seems doomed lately to playing contemptible characters. And contemptible characters that are written poorly. Mackenzie is a top marketing executive in New York City who is losing her clients to a shiny new rival. She is stressed out about that when her best friend moves her wedding up and needs her help to pull it off in their old hometown. She hasn’t been home since her mother died and did I hear right that it’s been 10 years? Her father has health problems and his maple syrup business is failing because he stubbornly refuses to modernize despite the financial support and advice of his “employee”, Mackenzie’s old boyfriend played by Christopher Russell. It doesn’t help that the trees he is tapping are not Maple trees.

Her friend wants a simple hometown inexpensive wedding because that is the kind of down-to-earth person she is. Mackenzie basically hijacks her wedding to promote herself to her rapidly departing clientele. The kicker is that she knows she is doing wrong, but just continues to do it. Her actions are contemptible but Jen Lilley plays it with a sugar coating that only makes her seem like the ultimate phony. She uses her friend’s easygoing nature to run roughshod over her while being on the phone almost constantly to her New York assistant talking about her career problems. She browbeats the bride into going with an ugly over-the-top designer dress instead of the flattering simple gown she loves and gets the lovely little country church trashed by the famous D. J. she hires and his followers who also deface a tree that has a sentimental history to the bride and groom.

Meanwhile, even though she finds out her father’s farm is in foreclosure, she makes no attempt to help or find out what’s going on. She is just too busy and important unless she is flirting with Christopher. Near the end, she goes to the banker/lawyer who tells her that Christopher actually has her father’s power of attorney. That finally gets her attention and she somehow concludes that CR is trying to steal her father’s business when he was really financing it to save it. She pouts and sulks when she isn’t looking panic-stricken and is just generally an A-#1 jerk to lovely Christopher as well as everyone else. But does she try communication? Heck, no. In fact, when Christopher tries to set her straight, “she doesn’t have time” to hear it. No idea why her career is on a death spiral. I don’t mind a character who starts out very flawed but has a character arc over time. Jen Lilley is horrid throughout the whole movie until she ruins everything and she has nowhere to go but up.

To make it all worse, Jen Lilley delivers many of her lines so quickly and incoherently it’s like she wants to get them over with instead of actually acting. She has no connection whatsoever with Christopher Russell. The fact that he, her father, and her friends put up with her throughout the whole movie just made this viewing experience even more unpleasant. The only one who finally stands up to her is the bride. Nelson Wong, (for once not named “Kenny”) who usually is a charming presence in any movie, is annoying and horrible in this, and the ending and resolution made no sense whatsoever. This production is populated with many regular Hallmark supporting players but even they cannot prop this one up. 2 stars for CR and the train wreck factor.

Rating: 2 out of 10.

January 2, 2022

A Lot Like Christmas

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It’s a Lot

Christopher Russell plays against his usual type as a big city corporate big wig. He usually plays rugged back-to-nature types. He has come to Maggie Lawson’s small town to open a big box store, which threatens to put the local Mom and Pops out of business. Most especially Maggie’s Christmas Tree lot. They meet and are immediately attracted to each other without knowing who the other is. Disaster looms.

Christopher Russell is excellent in this: funny and sincere. Maggie was OK, although her character comes across as trying too hard with the hot new man in town. But really, who can blame her? He is gorgeous and nice. If not handled well, however, this enthusiasm can come across as desperation. Unfortunately, the story was dull with nothing on the horizon that could remotely be of interest. When she learns his true identity, she turns on him and will do anything to beat him at his own game. She commences to cut off her nose to spite her face. Christopher remains good-hearted and easygoing as well as good at his job which makes her antics all the more unattractive. When her little brother explains to this genius that she has bankrupted the business with all of her expenses outstripping their sales, it finally comes the inevitable sad end. Did she just blame Christopher for her own stupidity?

But wait! Thanks to her sudden inspiration of turning her farm into an event venue, the farm is miraculously saved. Like the next day. When very clueless (but still lovable) Christopher learns that the corporation he works for is based on lies, he decides the small-town life is more his speed, and the romance is saved as well. I really like CR without whom I probably would not have finished this movie.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

December 10, 2021

Forever Christmas

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See it for Christopher Russell

If Christopher Russell is paired with the right female lead, and he has a script that takes advantage of his GQ worthy handsomeness and the kindness that you can see behind his eyes, he can be great. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. It does in this one. The script explores the phoniness behind reality series and how untrustworthy and false they can be. I didn’t much care for the heroine, but Christopher made up for that and had charm enough for both. I did like that they had a fairly sizzling love scene as opposed to the usual chaste kiss at the end of the movie.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

November 20, 2020