'A Kismet Christmas' (2022)

Opening thoughts: Have for a few years now been on a roll watching as many Hallmark Christmas films as possible. It has generally been an interesting and worthwhile project, while also very inconsistent. 2022's Christmas output is no exception, being as variable as the rest of the seasonal blocks. The story for 'A Kismet Christmas' didn't sound particularly mind blowing, but that wasn't enough to put me off.

The previous two 2022 Countdown to Christmas films 'Noel Next Door' and 'We Wish You a Married Christmas' already saw inconsistency in quality, the former was quite good but the latter underwhelmed. Luckily, 'A Kismet Christmas' (very different to what was expected, was expecting a Christmas story centered around the musical 'Kismet' for some reason) was closer in quality to the former and actually one of the better 2022 Christmas films thus far from Hallmark. Not perfect, but with a lot of good things.

Good things: Those good things will be started off with first. Sarah Ramos and Carlo Marks are engaging and nuanced leads with a subtly quiet yet charming chemistry that didn't feel rushed or aimless. Zesty Marilu Henner steals every scene she's in and Rubi Tupper is charming and sincere in a type of role that easily could have been played too precociously. The characters were interesting and easy to root for and the relationships feel real and honest on the whole.

It is also an attractive film visually, with beautiful scenery and colourful decorations. The music fits at least and is easy on the ears. The story is very charming and moving, not feeling dull.

Bad things: Having said that, it is also very formulaic, doing nothing new with familiar elements, and there is a conflict that is very artificial and lacking in sense. Some may say that thank goodness it didn't feature much, for me for it to have made sense more it did need more time to be fleshed out, it did feel also too rushed and throwaway.

While the script is not as cheesy or schmaltzy as many other Hallmark Christmas films, it is too talky and too much of the talk rambles and not all of it served much point.

Concluding thoughts: Overall though, quite nice.

7/10.

This one was a bit careless with some questionable plot points. I was hopeful and curious to see Sarah Ramos, because I remember her as Lauren Graham's daughter on Parenthood. Carlo Marks usually gives a likable performance.

Sarah is a best-selling children's author who has to return to her hometown to reward the winner of a contest promoting her new book (which she is having trouble finishing.) It turns out the little winner is the daughter of the boy next door she had a teenage crush on. After humiliating herself by bursting into to his wedding declaring her love, she has never returned. Yeah, it was pretty embarrassing.

Here's the first problem. Her beloved grandmother Mia (Marilu Henner) still lives in the house across the street. Are they telling me Sarah never went home to visit her when she is supposed to be so devoted to Granma Mia? A return to a hometown after years and years, only works if you don't abandon your family in the process.

She meets Travis and gets to know his little girl,(who hugs everyone all the time. I've never seen such a huggy little girl) and a rekindled romance ensues. But where is the wife? Is she dead? Divorced? On vacation? On a break? I was expecting her to pop up any minute. We find out after half the movie is over and a lot of flirting has gone on that they are divorced, but she travels with her band a lot.

What did that boring bear story have to do with anything?

And why did Grammy stop making the beloved Christmas cookies again? She taped up the recipe after Sarah ripped it up. When Sarah wanted to test out the magic and made 12 "Kismet" cookies, how could there have been "a line out the door" for them? Especially when 4 were already spoken for.

Also, there was a fake conflict at the end which was more fake than usual and made no sense. Why did Sarah run away when Travis suggested she stay in New Britain solve the house going out of the family problem and explore their relationship? There was no reason. Her agent points out the obvious that she already knew and crisis averted. At least it was short in duration.

This just came out and I've seen it twice already. It was even better the second time. I knew nothing about Sarah Ramos before watching this but I really liked her portrayal of Sarah Collins aka Sarah Grace. She was quite effective and very appealing in a sexy bookworm/librarian kind of way. She also did an impressive job of conveying both her character's initial teenage insecurities and her growing confidence. And I like the explanation given for her pen name Sarah Grace. Carlo Marks was likable, as usual, playing Sarah's childhood friend/crush Travis. He and Ramos had really great chemistry together. They walked and talked and looked like a real couple. I always love seeing couples tease each other and engage in fun banter. There's plenty of that here. All without a single appearance by any past or present significant others. That was refreshing.

Another reviewer commented that it was "absurd" for young Sarah to be unaware that her childhood friend Travis was getting married. That's fair, but given that she was just a teenager, 4 years younger, and only around during summers and the Christmas holiday, it's not inconceivable. I actually found it harder to believe that she hadn't returned to visit her beloved grandmother since the day she crashed Travis's wedding.

That same reviewer asked: "What did that boring bear story have to do with anything?" First, I didn't think it was boring and it struck me as one of those fun stories that results in a nickname, some good natured teasing, and ends up being the kind of story that becomes part of family lore. But second, and perhaps more to the point, there's a key part of that story that isn't revealed until the end. No spoilers here. But after that important reveal, Sarah says: "That was the day I fell in love with you Travis Walker." In short, that bear story said more about Travis than it did about Sarah Bear.

Another reviewer seemed to find it unlikely that Sarah would be famous after just one book. The author who immediately came to mind was Harper Lee, who became VERY famous after her first book- To Kill a Mockingbird. Rowling's Harry Potter, Tolkien's The Hobbit and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein also come to mind.

Admittedly, there were a series of unlikely circumstances and coincidences that keeps Sarah from Travis, and then brings her back to Travis, but once that's overlooked, the movie becomes quite enjoyable and heart warming. As for the annoying critics who unfairly disparage Hallmark movies as being "all the same", I thought the whole magical kismet cookies plot line was fun and rather unique. I don't mind a little Christmas magic, especially if it doesn't involve yet another magical Santa and acts more like a nudge or a mechanism of enlightenment, as opposed to something that wipes out free will

I was also impressed with the other actors. Marilu Henner (Grammie) Michele Sacarbelli (Patsy) and Barbara Pollard (Raylene) were all solid as usual. I thought Rubi Tupper was great as Travis' daughter Jazzy. Someone complained about all her hugs (really; in a Hallmark movie?) but I melted every time that little girl hugged Sarah. I kept thinking how she was desperately in need of a mother figure given that her own mother would rather "travel with her band" and just "check in" from time to time. I really have no patience for parents who won't fulfill their responsibilities as parents.

This movie was very well written by Betsy Morris and Lori Wilde (she wrote the Wedding Veil trilogy). Just a few of my favorite lines:

"If there's no love, there's no magic"

"You mean the book marked 'private, keep out, especially Travis'?"

"Come on dad, these books aren't going to read themselves!"

"Chopping down tree thingy.... writers have a way with words"

"I've seen scary movies start this way"

"What's the bear population around here? Asking for a friend."

"I think it's good, but I'm also a writer so I'm needy and thin-skinned."

"Jaded literary agents need love too you know"

Loved the Die Hard Christmas reference. There were also some neat subtle touches by director Mark Jean (the Nine Lives of Christmas), like when a vendor in the public square throws his hands up when the place becomes deserted during the scavenger hunt.

I loved it when Benny spelled out the facts for Sarah's "crippling difficult decision"

There's a lot to love about this movie.