There are a lot of instances of light humor. Ali's clumsiness leads into an interesting exchange with the Christmas fairy. Throughout the movie there's some decent dialogue.
The story has been done but there's a different flavor too it. A lot of screen time is spent with the existing boyfriend. Meanwhile it's obvious from the story and dialogue that Ali and Nick are more than neighbors, but they don't spend enough screen time to develop real chemistry. When they do have time together, there is a hint of the chemistry they could have. Cameron has some obvious rough spots (needy kids shouldn't get toys?) but he doesn't seem at first to be obviously wrong for Ali. But the differences build up.
Little conflicts abound and unless you're vested into the expectable romantic outcome, there's no clear right answer to most of them. I happen to like that expected outcome, but is it necessarily a better future to stay with the "small town contractor and have babies" than to be a successful woman paired with an ambitious and adventurous man?
As to acting. All I can really say is that, except for mom, it wasn't distracting from the story. And Jennifer Elise Cox livens things up.
This is not the same old stuff you find in most Hallmark Christmas movies (I realize this isn't Hallmark) where all through the movie the leads do all kinds of happy things staring at one another lovingly. This is what happens in real life, at least until the expected ending. At the last minute it turns into the HEA Christmas movie, but it is an unusual road to get there.
There's a cute little gesture at the end. ("I never get tired of doing that.")
A word about consistency. Ali begins the movie as a tough successful business woman. You don't get to a life like that with the kind of indecisiveness displayed by Ali through almost all of the movie. That really doesn't affect enjoying the movie because it's fairly common in these movies.
The story has been done but there's a different flavor too it. A lot of screen time is spent with the existing boyfriend. Meanwhile it's obvious from the story and dialogue that Ali and Nick are more than neighbors, but they don't spend enough screen time to develop real chemistry. When they do have time together, there is a hint of the chemistry they could have. Cameron has some obvious rough spots (needy kids shouldn't get toys?) but he doesn't seem at first to be obviously wrong for Ali. But the differences build up.
Little conflicts abound and unless you're vested into the expectable romantic outcome, there's no clear right answer to most of them. I happen to like that expected outcome, but is it necessarily a better future to stay with the "small town contractor and have babies" than to be a successful woman paired with an ambitious and adventurous man?
As to acting. All I can really say is that, except for mom, it wasn't distracting from the story. And Jennifer Elise Cox livens things up.
This is not the same old stuff you find in most Hallmark Christmas movies (I realize this isn't Hallmark) where all through the movie the leads do all kinds of happy things staring at one another lovingly. This is what happens in real life, at least until the expected ending. At the last minute it turns into the HEA Christmas movie, but it is an unusual road to get there.
There's a cute little gesture at the end. ("I never get tired of doing that.")
A word about consistency. Ali begins the movie as a tough successful business woman. You don't get to a life like that with the kind of indecisiveness displayed by Ali through almost all of the movie. That really doesn't affect enjoying the movie because it's fairly common in these movies.