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Reviews
Love on the Right Course (2024)
Bokeh run rampant
While the story was okay and the lead actors delivered their usual respectable performances, I found the narrow depth of focus chosen for much of the movie to be simply too hard on my eyes to keep watching. We do not see the world with such short depth of focus, so prolonged exposure to that effect neither feels natural nor is easy to process. So many scenes were shot with only the actors in focus, that the audience is deinied extended views of lovely waterfront scenes, quaint village alleyways, and interesting interiors. One knows these appealing scenes are there, but they're repeatedly obscured by somebody's idea of what makes cinematic "art." Rather than focusing my attention on the characters & story, I found this video technique was such a distraction that it killed my interest in the movie.
When I Think of Christmas (2022)
Stumbled at the finish line
This film had promise, despite an rather dull and uneventful plot development. However, both my wife and I howled out loud in pain when the final spotlight song of the movie was taken at the end by Beth Broderick, who sadly butchered the song. It would've been far, far better to end as the principal characters had intended in the storyline, with them singing the song. Niall Matter & Shenae Grimes-Beech produced really excellent harmonies in a short song segment earlier in the film, and we had been looking forward to a fuller length version of this. Unfortunately, the film flat on its face at the finish line and undid all the good of the plot line of their two characters getting together to sing once more.
Christmas Bedtime Stories (2022)
Unforgivable ending
Hallmark wasted one of the very few good casting matchups in the 2022 Christmas season on an appalling script plot. This is a project that should never ever have been approved. While the first 2/3 of the film had many strong points, the final 15 minutes are just nonsense from so many perspectives. Clearly there was no military advisor involved in this project. No way, no how would an MIA soldier simply turn up like this out of the blue at their kids school. This kind of story line could be so damaging for the spouses and children of personnel listed as MIA by dishing up a fantasy of false hope in its ending. Hallmark, you must do better if you want to honour the men and women who serve their country, and all their families and loved ones who are devastated when they are killed or go missing. Hallmark, this is your bad. And I mean real bad...