Il più bel regalo di Natale

This is one of the better movies on GAC Family. Christopher Russell is a rom-com veteran with multiple credits on Hallmark Channel and now a few on GAC Family. Ella Cannon did A Maple Valley Christmas last year (2022) on Hallmark and was quite good in that one. I thought they were very good in Peppermint & Postcards. Like others I don't understand why that title ???

So Chet Walters (Russell) is a self-centered, small town TV reporter hoping to get a better job in a bigger market. While seeking to come up with a new idea for a human interest story, he encounters Cara Miller (Cannon) and her young daughter Megan. They end up spending a lot of time with each other and... well, you know how these stories turn out. It's just that this one is different than most and Russell and Cannon had a good chemistry together. Like I said, I liked it and if you're a rom-com fan I think you will too!

6.4 stars.

The story itself is wonderful and if I summarize it for you, you might say it sounds pretty good. It's nothing new for Hallmark or UP Family, or other Family networks, it fits right in. The only problem is the whole thing is a mess. The sets and scenes and cinematography are top notch, the acting is okay, the dialogue could be fine, but it's a jumbled mess, the whole production, the script it's all a big fat bunch of confusion.

A news reporter for a small town is looking for his big break. A single mother of one little girl is looking for love. He doesn't consider anything in his life but his goals, she is not looking for any relationships. They both are pursuing what they think they need, but what they really need is each other. Somehow, we get to the point, but it's so awkward and ill-timed all throughout, I was cringing more than usual, much more. 'It's a Christmas Thing' a.k.a. 'Peppermint and Postcards' is an utter failure in its attempt to tell a simple story. And who came up with the alternate title? Makes no sense. I feel bad for whoever produced the film, because I bet they had a different outcome in mind than this.

Overall this is a warm and satisfying film. It starts out with a somewhat unusual--and, yes, disjointed, plot, but these aspects work themselves out very quickly. Ella Cannon was truly excellent. She played a character who was putting up with things in her life that most people would not, and doing it with grace and kindness. I could not help root for her. This was my first exposure to this beautiful Australian actress (who masters an American accent flawlessly), but I hope not my last. As usual, Christopher Russell was also very good--after the film's aforementioned disjointed beginning. He was a bit different from the usual "sure of himself" character he played in, say, this year's "A Dash of Christmas," but I think you'll find this role doesn't make him less likeable--he always seems very human. To finish, I could outline the plot, but why spoil it for you? I truly think these two characters will make you enjoy what is indeed a very different story.

Christopher Russell is a rom/com veteran. I won't say he is the best actor in the genre, but he shouldn't be this bad. His start was terrible. This Chet is the epitome of the jaded reporter and Russell overplays his selfishness and insincerity. Suddenly a lot of that disappears as he begins to bond with Cara. But the man is still clueless and still putting his dream of fame first. Throughout the movie even until just before the end, he is bent on his promotion and he can't see how he is hurting Cara. I just didn't believe that this man could change.

Cara is a gem which it seems everyone else in the story knows. She accepts her ex-husband's new fiancé into her home so that the family can celebrate Christmas. She even makes Suzy her friend. She is generous to everyone. And she is sensitive. Much of the movie centers around setting Cara up with dates.

Except for Russell, the acting is ok and so is the dialogue. Amelia Harrison pulls off the young Megan without overacting.

I'm not sure why it's called Peppermints and Postcards, but whatever you call it, it was pretty good.

Christopher Russell has been a busy guy this year. Here, he is a pushy small-town reporter looking for his ticket to the big time.

Ella Cannon plays a single mom so meek she is spending the Christmas holidays hosting her ex-husband and his new Parisian fiancee in her home. She says she is happy being single, but it's clear she is not. She bonds with the fiancee.

When her daughter's letter to Santa asking for a love for her mom somehow goes viral, our reporter seizes on the opportunity. He is still licking wounds from a previous relationship, and has no interest in another one, only his ambition.

The movie has a slightly tongue-in-cheek feel, but the feelings of the characters are evident to the viewer almost before they occur to the character. This is a step forward for GAF.

Russell has developed quite a range between this, his baker earlier this year and last year's colorblind schoolteacher.

Ella Cannon was the witchy sister in last year's A Maple Valley Christmas. Here she is very much more copacetic, and aims an acerbic wit at the reporter from time to time. They each become adept at administering the needle.

The chemistry develops slowly, through a sometimes convoluted plot, perhaps the weakest part of the story.

In all, it's a little different, but definitely worth a watch.