The new 2023 Christmas season is among us. I really didn't like last year's Christmas Reel One Entertainment TV movies. They were overall mediocre with several outright train wrecks. This one is actually better than everything I watched from them in 2022 season, and with some fixes it could be easily above average.
Technically, it's fine compared to the technical train wrecks from the previous season. They used NYC stock footage but not excessive, and in the second part it was basically gone. They really carefully shot in Hamilton outdoors to pass it as NYC, and I would say it was mostly fine. However it had a bit of negative influence on the overall story. Music score is a mix of nice holiday music with no so nice melancholic one. Few scenes could have a bit less loud background music, but it's nothing like was the horror in the previous season. And really important, it was clearly shot in the late autumn or early winter, and not fake in the summer.
Cast is all right. First time watched Kalinka Petrie, and it was her first lead role. Almost the same I can say for Fuad Ahmed. I would say they were good enough. Nothing extraordinary, but they had some chemistry together.
Directing and writing are passable. Because they shot in Hamilton, story had to go in the direction of showing less know / hidden gems places in NYC, and that was so-so. Also, kudos to somebody from production team who decided to use Audacity even it was partially hidden in the close shots.
My only real issue with this TV movie is a semi-fake poster. Fuad Ahmed is ok in the poster, just as is NYC in the background. However, Kalinka Petrie is fake as she never wore that outfit in the move ever! Why do photo shoot if it was never used for once in the movie?! I don't remember I ever saw something like that in ROE TV movie. Furthermore, she only wore very long green skirt only once for a minute in one scene (hotel room), and that's it. She always wore pants, and most of time baggy one which looks bad on her as she is pretty looking so why ruin her? I mean, if you are going with commercialized Christmas, then do it properly. It doesn't have to be an over the top like Hallmark does it, but at least do something. I'm aware that some women only wear pants, and most actresses do that in ROE TV movies, and they even photo shoot them for the posters, and it's totally fine, I never complained about it.
And obligatory don't watch trailer (for some reasons here is only posted shortened version) as it's the ROE one and for some unknown reason(s) it shows whole movie compressed.
