Movie #2011 ........................."Next Stop, Christmas" (Hallmark)

Movie #2011 "Next Stop, Christmas" (Hallmark)  Hold on to your hat because this one goes pretty fast, dialogue-wise --- it's like back to the future and deals with time travel --- In fact, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is the magical element here --- I usually don't like magic in films, but I do enjoy time travel so this one was fun and different to watch.  Maybe it was just me, but it was a bit tough to understand in parts due to pacing and the time travel gimmick --- and she has a choice of two guys.  I might have missed the opening set up --- but to me, it was the best premise for a film so far.  I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it.  A fun "ride" through Christmas time. 

"NEXT STOP, CHRISTMAS"    HALLMARK    2021      1 hour and 24 minutes (the time is probably mandated)

Angie is determined to spend Christmas alone but her usual commuter ride turns into a Christmas train that drops her off in her home town in 2011.

Director:  Dustin Rikert

Writers:  Samantha DiPippo, Andrew Gerhard and Christy O'Connor  (concept)

Stars:  Lyndsy Fonseca, Chandler Massey, Erika Slezak

Movie #2010 ........................." The Santa Stakeout" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2010 " The Santa Stakeout" (Hallmark) Are you tired of the same old Hallmark Christmas movie?  Well, here's something different --- the stage business is that these are two cops who are quite different who have to stake out the house next door because houses in the neighborhood are being robbed.  Of course, they are two very different kind of cops --- one (the guy) is more lackadaisical,  and the girl has  more  an Alpha + personality so she's Christmas decorating and forcing him to sing Christmas carols, etc.  They latch on to a neighborhood group who thinks they are married, and Joe Pantoliano (from "Memento" and tons of other movies  -- we call him Joey Pants in our family) is the guy next door .  The girl is a bit big for her part, but the guy here is always one of my favorites, and he is always funny to me.  And he helps her come acrosss more real throughout the film.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5 --- it's cute and different.

"SANTA STAKEOUT"             HALLMARK      2021       1 hour and 24 minutes 

Tanya is a police detective who is partnered with fellow detective Ryan to solve a recent string of heists.  They go undercover as newlyweds, moving into the vacant house next to Mr. Miller , the prime suspect in the case.

Director:  Peter Benson

Writers:  Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer

Stars:  Paul Campbell, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Joe Pantoliano

Movie #2209 ........................."Christmas Sail" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2209 "Christmas Sail" (Hallmark) I liked that the two leads were best friends growing up, and when she comes back after being married and having a child , to visit her dad when he is deciding to sell his home and boat, she meets up again with this childhood friend --- that seemed believable to me, and the little kid and the guy are well cast.  The main girl lead grew on me --- it took a while.  Terry  O'Quinn (from "Lost") was able to do well with the grieving father part and he pulled the film together.  I especially liked that the film was on sailing because it made the film different from others.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"CHRISTMAS SAIL" (HALLMARK)    1 hour and 24 minutes    2021

Liz receives a call for help from her father to return home for Christmas, and she wants to create a whimsical Christmas celebration.  

Directors:  Stacey Brodie, Stacey N. Harding

Writer:  Robin Gadsby

Stars:  Katee Sackhoff, Patrick Sabongui, Terry O'Quinn

Movie #2208 ........................."Coyote Creek Christmas" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2208 "Coyote Creek Christmas " (Hallmark)  I never really got all into this one,; the saving grace is the little boy because he kept me watching -- One piece of dialogue stuck out to me:  "It's not that simple"  I thought it could have been ,so the story seemed forced.  The dilemma seemed manufactured.  Parents were phony, and the lovers didn't have a lot of chemistry.  I'd give this one a 3 out of 5.

"COYOTE CREEK CHRISTMAS" (Hallmark)  2021    1 hour and 24 minutes

The fate of the Coyote Creek Inn and Paige's relationships are both left to the magic of the holiday season to decide.  (dumb summary --- the parents are trying to sell the inn to a real estate developer without telling their daughter, not knowing she wants to run it --- the love interest is the developer --- duh!)

Director:  David Strasser

Writer:  Alexa Garster

Stars:  Janel Parrish, Ryan Paevey

Movie # 2207 ........................."You, Me and the Christmas Trees" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2207 "You, Me and the Christmas Trees" (Hallmark)  This one I liked because it had a winning couple, and you can see the growth in their relationship and feel the chemistry.  Some people would say this was a bit sappy (excuse the pun), but I'll "leaf" that up to others because I thought it was quite an informative movie on trees, and I appreciated that.  I'd give this a 4 out of 5 --- If  "Wonder Years" Winnie is in a Hallmark film, that usually means a winner to me!

"YOU, ME AND THE CHRISTMAS TREES" (hallmark)   2021         1 hour and 24 minutes

An arborist falls in love with a farmer as she tries to save his trees before the town tree lighting.

Director:  David Winning (are you kidding? that wasn't a planned pun)

Writer:  Julie Sherman Wolfe

Stars :  Danica McKeller, Benjamin Ayres, Zara Bacic

Movie #2206 ........................."Christmas in my Heart" (Hallmark MM)

 Movie #2206 "Christmas in my Heart" (Hallmark MM) -- Well, right off the bat, I disliked this film, but because I like the male actor Luke McFarlane (from a long ago t.v. show "Brothers & Sisters"), I stuck with it.  Ugh!  When both main actors approach their parts with flatness and awkwardness, the film is full of starts and stops and trivial dialogue.  I went away from it for a while, and when I came back to it, nothing seemed to have changed.  One thing I did like was the violin playing, so there's some talent in the female lead, and possibly the little girl played some?  and that kept my interest a  bit, but this is a don't- bother- one from the list of 41 new Hallmark movies for 2021.  I'd give this a 2.5 out of 5.

"CHRISTMAS IN MY HEART"  (HALLMARK MM)   2021     1 HOUR AND 24 MINS

Violinist Beth returns home after the recent death of her mother and tutors the daughter of a reclusive country music star to prepare her for the upcoming holiday concert.

Director:  Pat Kiely

Writers:  Jamie Pachin o, Shari Sharpe, Liz Storm 

Stars:  Luke Macfarland, Heather Hemmens, Maria Nash

Movie #2205 ........................."The French Dispatch" (movie theatre)

 Movie #2205 "The French Dispatch" (movie theatre)  Wes Anderson films are an acquired taste like beer or whiskey.  His movies are usually "out of the box" and very, very deadpan in the humor.  That being said, I have enjoyed most of his work in the past, whether it was good entertainment or a successful think piece.  This, to me, though, is   not his best ("Budapest Hotel") but it isn't his worst, either.  I rather enjoyed watching it --- trying to put all the pieces together, kind of like a puzzle.     While  the dialogue doesn't always pull  us in, the photographs and still shots in here are amazing.  Most creative is the style of the entire film --- you can't fault it for trying to keep our interest, but I think you can fault it for not being clear in the storytelling.  Still, there's something to like here --- the bravery in the effort to always push the envelope to show audiences something new --- the quality  of the multi-star cast to pull it off ---- the information it ends up giving about the French Dispatch and its place in history.  My head is still reeling from watching this film, and it goes by so fast --- even the jokes --- maybe too fast.  We were lucky enough to see it in a theatre that used close captioning, and we still thought it went by fast.  For John Q Public, I would give it a 3, but for Wes Anderson fans who appreciate his style,  (perhaps New Yorker readers?) I'd give it a 4.  This is way out of the box type of thinking and not to everyone's liking.

"FRENCH DISPATCH"  (movie theatre)    2021    R     1 hour, 47 minutes 

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in "The French Dispatch Magazine."

Director:  Wes Anderson

Writers:  Wes Anderson (screenplay) . Roman Copola and Hugo Guiness (story)

Stars:  `Benecio Del Torro, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Timothy Chálame, Owen Wilson,  and all the other West Anderson regulars .

• • Wes Anderson
• Writers
  • Wes Anderson(screenplay by)
  • Roman Coppola(story by)
  • Hugo Guinness(story by)
• Stars
  • Benicio Del Toro
  • Adrien Brody
  • Tilda Swint