A Bride for Christmas (2012)

Wonderful Movie

Too much of everything

Masterful Movie

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

As I have explained in my other reviews, viewers need to realize that every bad X-Mas movie they have ever seen in their entire lives probably was made in Canada.The reason for this is that the Canadian film industry has more or less cornered the market on this niche, mainly for financial reasons (cheaper dollar) and it can -- AND DOES -- offer highly competitive pricing on these films to worldwide distributors who are constantly eyeing their bottom line.I am NOT criticizing the Canadians, you can call this a back-handed compliment, since they are a very robust and profitable industry and they will still be monopolizing this niche long after you and I have gone on to our greater rewards.But for the viewers (not the bankers) the fact is that much of the product is weak because it was produced with eye on the bottom line.Which brings us to A BRIDE FOR X-MAS. What sets this one apart from the pack are the performances of Kebbel and Walker. I have seen a lot of movies, reviewed a lot of movies, but I have to suggest there is real chemistry here. In fact, the scenes with the two of them alone are so highly charged that, for a fraction of a fraction of a second, you might think you were watching a Hollywood A-lister.The rest of the movie suffers from the typical Canuck syndrome, that is, weak writing, and weak performances from the supporting cast who, more often than not, are chosen from the same dozen or so character actors who invariably appear in all the other similar productions.And here is a PS -- one wonders why no one from the production company told IMDb that the poster for the German translation of the film was used in error for this IMDb entry?

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE. THE REASON WHY I REVIEW THEM IS TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN!Julie Roberts and Richard Gere starred in 1999's "Runaway Bride". That was the 2nd collaboration for the two actors. In 1990 they starred in the box office smash "Pretty Woman" and they delivered another box- office hit with "Runaway Bride". However time has been kind to "Pretty Woman" but I can't say the same for "Runaway Bride". That film if it were made today would be played to empty theaters. Hallmark Channel however rips off "Runaway Bride" with this film "A Bride for Christmas". This film however flows better and is 30 minutes shorter than its theatrical inspiration. In this film Jessie Patterson (Arielle Kebbel) calls off her third engagement - at the altar! - she swears off serious relationships until she finds "the one." That is, until charming but chronically single Aiden MacTiernan (Andrew Walker) comes along. Unbeknownst to Jessie, Aiden has bet his friends that he can convince a woman to marry him by Christmas - which is only four weeks away - and Jessie is the target of his bet. As Aiden attempts to court Jessie by first hiring her to decorate his apartment, Jessie looks to her sister, roommate and interior design company partner, Vivian (Kimberly Sustad) as her closest confidant. To complicate matters, Jessie is doggedly pursued by her most recent ex-fiancé, Mike (Sage Brocklebank), who still wants to marry her.Lots of fun and never boring. Watch it anytime of the year. It will make make you smile...

My wife and I have not seen every made-for-TV Hallmark movie, but we have seen several dozen. I can't remember a better Hallmark movie than A Bride for Christmas.This movie has a lot of strengths. It has lead characters Jessie (played by Arielle Kebbel) and Aiden (Andrew Walker) who are unusually attractive and likable. Indeed, Andrew Walker has a striking resemblance to a young Tom Cruise. The acting by Kebbel and Walker, and by all the supporting actors, is excellent. The dialog is reasonably realistic. The camera work is quite good and adds interest. The musical score is also very good, effectively enhancing some of the scenes.The plot is predictable (as in all Hallmark movies) and we've seen certain plot elements before in several well known rom-coms (The Runaway Bride, 10 Ways to Lose Your Lover). But given those drawbacks,the movie does an excellent job of telling its story. The inevitable "change of heart" on the part of Jessie and Aiden proceeds at a slow and realistic pace and the actors convince us that there is romantic chemistry between the two lead characters. The lead and supporting characters all behave in realistic and believable ways.While watching A Bride for Christmas, my wife and I repeatedly said to each other "This movie is good!" We thoroughly enjoyed it and will watch it again.

With a character obviously based upon the Runaway Bride, and a lead guy based on several old comedies as well, this movie really doesn't have much to do with Christmas. It's a backdrop, but the movie could have just as well been told as Arbor Day Bride, Memorial Day Bride, or Columbus Day Bride. Hallmark put out several Christmas-themed movies this year, and most of them pretty good. This one is not.The girl has already broken off three engagements, and the guy agrees to a stupid bet about getting a woman to say yes to a phony proposal. Are these the kind of people to settle down to watch with a hot chocolate and /or cuddle up with a loved one with a fire in the fireplace? They're stupid and selfish at best. At worst--well, better not to go there.Everything is predictable: just a brief excerpt list of stuff you've seen in this sort of movie 100 times before: battle of the sexes, hidden agendas, emotions in spite of themselves, family and friends that wants them together in spite of what they've done, etc etc etc. The movie tries to make these elements cute, but doesn't succeed. While most of the cast are likable people and good actors, the tired story line just doesn't offer any Christmas cheer. If you're in the mood for a Christmas movie, switch channels to an old Christmas cartoon movie while this is on.