2001 1h 30min This charming movie stars John Cusack as Jonathan and Kate Beckensale as Sara. It begins with the words “A few years ago…” and we witness them at the glove counter of a New York department store just before Christmas. They’re negotiating who gets to purchase the last pair of leather gloves. While they both have significant others, they’re immediately smitten with each other and end up spending the entire evening together. Cusack and Beckensale have remarkable chemistry and we root for them right from the start. However, they decide that if they were truly meant to be together, they’d find each other again in the future and they go their separate ways.
“A few years later…” we catch up with the couple. They’re both engaged to their respective mates, and in fact, Jonathan is to be married in just a few days. Here is where things get fun. The two soul mates spend their time searching for each other, convinced that their relationship was meant to be. They keep missing each other in an amusing series of events, which is exasperating to witness. It’s almost Shakespearian in nature. Will they eventually find each other and live happily ever after? You’ll just have to check it out and find out for yourself.
Four out of five stars
Currently streaming on Netflix, Epix, Hulu, Pluto, Plex and other services.
1987 55min An absolutely enchanting adaption of the classic Dylan Thomas poem. I read it out loud to the family every year and it’s become a Christmas tradition. Several years ago I discovered this version, which stars Denholm Elliott. If you’re not familiar with him, let’s just say he played the quintessential Sherlock Holmes back in the day—smart, but also kindly and warm--something lacking in most of the other interpretations of this famous character.
Here he plays a sweet grandpa, spending Christmas Eve babysitting his young grandson Thomas (Methonwy Reeves). He starts telling the story of his childhood Christmases, growing up in a small Welsh village. He recites the classic poem and the scene then dissolves to reveal the story live as it unfolds. It seamlessly jumps back and forth in time, like an imaginative adventure story. It’s a beautifully nostalgic look at Christmas in a bygone era. It’s so charming and delightful, you’ll want to watch it again when it’s over!
Five out of five stars
Currently streaming on IMDB TV, Youtube, BritBox, Tubi, and other services.
I’m amazed at how many Christmas movies have been made over the years. I’ve found sites that feature the 100 best Christmas movies! A hundred? Who knew? Here are a few of my other holiday favorites, not in any particular order: “A Christmas Story”, “The Holiday”, “Love Actually”, “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas”, “Home for the Holidays”, and “Joyeux Noel”. Happy Holidays from this movie (chest)nut!
I couldn't find an official trailer but here's a clip from the movie:
2021 1h 33m What a little gem of a film. When I read the description of it, I thought this one could get a bit sappy. Which I'm okay with. But it wasn't at all. It's about a young, teenage girl Beverly (Gemma Brooke Allen)who's being raised by her grandmother Gail (Julie Bowen). Her parents died in a car crash when she was two and she knows very little about them because her grandma rarely talks about them. One day, while sorting through a box of her parents belongings, she discovers a mix tape they made. It's full of 80s rock tunes and when the tape is ruined the first time she plays it, she goes on a quest to hear all the songs convinced they're actually a message to her.
Beverly engages the help of Anti (Nick Thune), an eccentric record store owner and a couple of her friends. Not only does she gain some understanding of her parents, her grandma begins to open up about them, as painful as it is. In the process, the two begin to heal and look at life a bit differently. The film takes place in 1999, right before the potential Y2K meltdown, and they get just about everything about the time period perfect. I thought the acting was terrific, the soundtrack engaging, and the message beautiful. It's just an overall sweet and heartfelt film the whole family will enjoy.
After he falls off a roof at a New Year's eve party, Owen (Bryan Greenberg) decides he needs to change his life. He attempts to reconnect with his estranged son and looks for romance. He's drive a truck for a vending machine company and he takes on his brother who's just gotten out of jail on as an assistant. Eventually he starts courtingVera (Claire van der Boom), a bank teller and fellow divorcee. There's not a lot of action in this film, but I thought it was well written and well acted. It's just one of those entertaining films that goes a bit beyond your usual rom-coms. There are some unexpected plot twists and it has a nice message--that change is good! 4 out of 5 stars Streaming on Hoopla, Tubi, and Prime
