Merry Matrimony (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Started out cute, then fell apart

[Anonnamus · 5/10 · 17 January 2019]

I have to start by saying I'm not a fan of the lead actress in this movie. I've only seen her in one other thing, and she was the exact same character in both...just different names. I go back and forth thinking she's a gorgeous model or that she's a 50 year-old who has had too much plastic surgery. Her acting is much the same way. The chemistry between Lowndes and Russell was actually quite good, as I could believe they were a former couple judging by their comfortability with each other.

Merry Matrimony had such potential and I enjoyed it up to the last third of the movie. The level of miscommunication was over-the-top, even for Hallmark. I mean, really? You can't just ask if your love interest is with someone else? Especially when he spends all his free time with you? And you read his wish on the tree? Give me a break. The ending was entirely too rushed for my liking. Although I did love seeing the couple in their wedding attire, I had hoped the reason behind it would have been because the model bride and groom didn't show up and they needed to stand in as a last-minute Hail Mary, not because she suddenly wanted to marry him 45 seconds after they got engaged...especially when she just learned he wasn't engaged to someone else another six minutes before. Maybe I'm cranky because it's late. I've seen better films, but I really did enjoy this one until the end.

A Defective Christmas Gift

[Christmas-Reviewer · 5/10 · 7 October 2016]

One of the many Hallmark movies that are produced for holiday viewing but this one is not worth your time.

Brie, an advertising executive, lands her dream assignment organizing the perfect Christmas wedding for a fashion magazine. If she succeeds, she will make partner at her firm. The only catch is that she unknowingly has been paired up with a certain high powered fashion photographer who just happens to be her estranged ex- boyfriend. Stars Jessica Lowndes and Christopher Russell

The two nice looking leads however in this film they don't have chemistry and your your not rooting for them. One of the main reasons you are not rooting for is because the plot is weak. There also enough plot holes to drive a truck through.

This film is family safe but EVERYONE who watches this will be bored.

I thought it was a cute Christmas Romance.

[wordwoman-31002 · 7/10 · 28 November 2015]

Several other reviewers have not seemed pleased with the movie. Yes, it is a Hallmark Movie, but I don't really think that is a bad thing. I did actually watch the entire movie start to finish. (I think it's a good idea to watch the movie before making negative comments.)

Regardless, I thought the story was different than some, but it was heart-warming and had a nice ending too. I did enjoy my viewing experience and I enjoyed the romance of it too. The actors were believable and did a good job of portraying the "forever love" concept. The friendships were portrayed as quite genuine and heartfelt. Hopefully the viewing audience will ignore some negative comments and give this cute movie a chance. Enjoy ya'll and Merry Christmas!

Christmas love

[jewelch · 6/10 · 8 December 2020]

This one is cute but in my opinion could have been better, Still well worth watching though. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 12/07/2020

I love Hallmark movies but...

[adrenalineangel · 6/10 · 26 April 2021]

I love Hallmark movies for what they are: saccharine sweet brain candy escapism but... There is so much bad editing and weird choices in this movie that distract from the movie. In one scene in the office they are clearly cutting back and forth between front and back cameras to show both characters (what is wrong with a side camera???) and they show Jessica lifting a paper to put it over the folder then when the front camera pans to her face (instead of the back camera) the paper isn't there. And it's not just once, it's every time I'm that short scene that the cameras switch, the paper is there and then it's not. The editing is so bad in this movie that it's noticeable and jarring. Throughout the movie the camera work is either awful (like some amateur UCLA student was plucked up as an intern) or the editing is so bad that it ruins the camera angles.

Also, the idea of using the photo shoot locale for the wedding is nice and I know it's a fictional movie but...shouldn't they be consistent? And have Jessica wear the same gown as the model (since it was available) or one of the gowns we saw in the office. Instead she's wearing a gown that wasn't even in the office or in the shoot. Did it suddenly just materialize? (Also, Jessica is beautiful but that is by far the worst dress for her curvy body) and what about the reception? They just suddenly (as in overnight, on Christmas) were able to get food catered and get guests to come to their wedding on Christmas? And no one minds? At least in December Bride it wasn't completely last minute and that was the theme of the movie so it wasn't completely unreasonable that there would be a wedding at the end.

Some of the writing is amateurish and repetitive.

Honestly, Hallmark you're getting cheap and lazy.

Plastic love story

[2jaqueline · 2/10 · 2 December 2019]

This movie inspired me to do my first review as it was so bad I had to write about it. While it's undoubtedly the worst rom com I have ever seen (and I've seen quite a few) it does have the perfect combination of poor acting, predictable and cliche writing and most of all insincerity that make for some unintended laughs.

The main character Brie is a career (and Christmas)-obsessed woman looking to become a partner in her marketing/advertising company. Of course she has a quirky, less attractive and loyal best friend as a sidekick. In a twist of fate, Brie ends up working together with her photographer ex-boyfriend who she had at one point hoped to marry and well you can guess the rest...

Many many rom coms are predictable, and this I don't mind - this is why a lot of people like them, they are dependable when you just want to see a nice little story with a happy ending. But in this movie, it's almost like the characters themselves don't believe this story - my 5-year-old self playing with barbie dolls could've mastered a similar level of acting. And that would probably be more interesting to watch.

I feel that this movie is a lesson in bad movies.

Random note: I was amused by how the main characters said when they were flower shopping that they can be more creative that having poinsettias for a Christmas wedding photoshoot, and then you see the final scenes where they have filled the set for the photoshoot with...poinsettias. It's like the people who made this movie weren't paying any attention at all.

Fully clothed...and perfectly boring

[bobmauch · 9 December 2015]

Dear wife and I are watching this movie as we speak....type...whatever. Geez...this Jessica Lowndes chick couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. Gorgeous, though. Like watching an "adult" movie where everyone has their clothes on. I'm really surprised Hallmark let this movie make it to broadcast. This is one that likely won't be repeated in future years. Wow. Bad. Really bad. The entire premise of the plot would be pretty good if not for the distractingly bad acting by the principal actress. And the constant "upspeak" where she delivers her lines like everything's a question. Maddening.

So, now, IMDb wants 4 more lines of text. Let's see...other actors are fairly good, especially the "secondary" actors. Main actors are fine...with the exception of Jessica L. Other'n all that, production quality, setting, etc. are excellent Hallmark quality.

Enjoyable despite bad acting

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 25 July 2017]

The plot idea was fairly good, but it wasn't carried off very well.

Jennifer Lowndes had more chemistry with Eddie's friend than with Christopher Russell. She is reserved and doesn't deliver much feeling unless you count her many sad looks throughout the story. Russell, likewise, comes through rather weakly.

***SPOILER*** They did a pretty good job of misdirection with Eddie and Isabella, although if you watched Eddie closely, he never showed any affection for Isabella - it was always her. She even hung tightly to Eddie at the photo show, even though George was right next to her.

I thought Brie's scene with Jared was weird where he actually gave her relationship advice about Eddie.

I still enjoyed the story.

Horrible Acting

[kissthecooks1 · 2/10 · 28 November 2015]

I suffered through this movie twice, because I missed most of the first hour the first time it was on. I really didn't miss much. Where does Hallmark Channel find their actors/actresses? The ones in this movie were horrible, stiff, and the lead actor looked like he was reading cue cards half the time! He made no eye contact with other people in his scenes and was looking off in the distance during most of his time on screen.

Hallmark Channel should have given ALL of the performers in this movie free acting lessons. Save yourself two hours of your life and skip this show.

Good but not great

[crystal-viola45 · 7/10 · 27 November 2015]

After a marathon of hallmark Christmas movies, which started so early in June, this one was by far the best among them, so far. the fresh faces was a nice change and the chemistry wasn't bad. Like every Hallmark Christmas movie this one have the romance along with the Christmas spirit, but unlike the other movies i didn't roll my eyes at the ending scene, which i've been doing a lot lately after watching every hallmark Christmas movie for this year. The story line was nice but predictable, the acting was good and the the proposal scene was perfect because it didn't end with a long kiss while a bunch of people cheering and give the happy couple a big applause. I watched it once and i don't feel like watching it again.

No chemistry whatsoever

[rise22 · 1/10 · 23 November 2015]

I watch a lot of the holiday movies (Hallmark, especially) and this one just wasn't up to their usual pinnacle. It had some really, really BAD moments....like, did he STEAL that bottle of champagne before they went on the carriage ride? No scene showing that he paid for it....

AND, these people never communicated - not for seven years!!! Why would anyone think they'd start now? The actors did not create a feeling of love between themselves - they were like two people going in different directions - which is why they didn't get together in the FIRST PLACE - and guess what? NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

I would not bother wasting my time on this one, as there are others out there much more in line with the Spirit of the Season, as well as making people believe in love and hope.

Enjoyable family film

[eternalmidnight-239-744722 · 9/10 · 11 February 2017]

I read the other reviews and was amazed by most of them because I really enjoyed this movie. I watched it one rainy afternoon and would happily have watched it again straight afterwards.

I thought the acting was good and the relationships between the characters were friendly, good-natured and kind. There wasn't a single mean spirited or unkind person in this movie, which I think makes a very nice change. No-one wished anyone harm, no-one was jealous, no- one wanted to dish the dirt or ruin a relationship or steal a job/promotion.

I didn't find it in the least bit boring, and I thought the scene in the cake shop was really cute.

I know that not everyone likes the same things, but for anyone looking for a genuine family movie where people are kind, happy and seem to genuinely care about each other this would be an excellent movie to choose.

Rudimentary

[MickyG333 · 6/10 · 9 January 2024]

6.2 stars.

What I see here is a production that was thrown together haphazardly. You have a writer who pens a decent script, add a few actors who are semi-talented, and just let the chips fall? This is not how you construct a good film. First of all this is lacking in direction and focus. Anyone could make a film like this, if you give them a budget, and some actors and some decent crew; it will build itself into a workable piece of entertainment. But without a vision and good direction, you end up with this particular end product. Once again, a film featuring our lead actress ends up looking like a juvenile mess. I don't know if she had a say in it or not, but there was a trend with her roles in the Hallmark universe and most of them missed the mark.

This feels like a 5/10 but I really like the lead actors, so I'll be lenient. I'd watch this if I had no other options.

Not one of Hallmark's best

[charcnc · 2/10 · 30 November 2015]

I've only been watching Hallmark movies regularly since this summer, but I've seen a lot of them. Some good, some bad. This one was really hard to finish. The acting (or lack thereof) should have warned me, but I tried to stay for the storyline. Unfortunately, even that wasn't very good.

The storyline was very predictable and not particularly well executed. As with most Hallmark movies, just when it appears the couple will get together, a "misunderstanding" happens. Even while watching the movie and predicting what the "misunderstanding" would be, the problem was that the acting didn't make sense. Ultimately, the male lead was so nonchalant about the source of confusion and how the female lead had been mislead, he confirmed he was a bigger idiot than he looked.

Sorry, I wasted my time.

A matrimony that is lacking in merriment

[TheLittleSongbird · 2/10 · 7 September 2021]

Am not saying that with malice. Hallmark Christmas films do have a tendency more often than not to be very predictable, cliched, very cheesy, too schmaltzy and over-scored. There have been many times where they have also been very cute, warm hearted, heartfelt, charming and appealingly acted. Really did want for 'Merry Matrimony' to be all of those latter adjectives, as Hallmark have shown quite a number of times that they can make watchable films.

Which sadly 'Merry Matrimony' is not one of, the complete opposite. It has a couple good things and is not quite down there with the very worst Hallmark Christmas films, though it was close. It is said with regret though that to me 'Merry Matrimony' was pretty much all of the negative adjectives mentioned above complete with bad acting pretty much all round and characters not worth caring for. Very little works here and the worst aspects are awful.

'Merry Matrimony' has some lovely scenery and decorations and is attractively photographed.

Sadly that is pretty much it for the good things. The acting all round is very bad. Jessica Lowndes does not look comfortable and has very little expression in her performance and Christopher Russell is far too introverted and looks and sounds half-asleep the entire time. Their chemistry is non-existent, the two look so indifferent and under-rehearsed when together and there is just nothing to the relationship. The rest of the cast are a mix of very stiff or overripe.

The characters are shallow ciphers and little more than typical Hallmark cliches with no variation, and none of them are believably developed or likeable. The direction throughout is as indifferent as the lead chemistry and is at best leaden. The music is, as can be the case with Hallmark, intrusive and there is nothing memorable to it. When it comes to the dialogue, it is very awkward in flow and there is no heart to it.

Both the cheese and sentiment go overboard, and because of disliking the characters so much there was nothing in 'Merry Matrimony' to connect with emotionally. The story is not much of one at all for most of the length, much of the first portion is endless and pointless filler and what there is of the story is very dull and makes no sense. The ending feels too rushed and too tidy.

On the whole, very poor and a long way from merry. 2/10.

Miscast and weak predictable story

[phd_travel · 3/10 · 5 September 2016]

A party planner's boyfriend leaves for Europe. Years later they reunite on a project. Of course you know what will happen. Most hallmark movies are predictable so the fun is seeing how things evolve. Unfortunately it's kind of too obvious and strained from the start. By the time they get together you kind of want to change channels.

Jessica Lowndes is pretty in a Megan Fox way. So she isn't quite right for this kind of sweet Hallmark romance Christmas movie. She is better as the bad girl as in a Mother's Nightmare. Also she is too pretty to be dumped. The actor Christopher Russell is a bit mannequin like just grinning and not showing much range.

So-So

[kz917-1 · 5/10 · 1 January 2018]

Cute enough. But nothing to rave about.

Leads were a couple in college and then fall out due to work obligations and being on different sides of the continent.

They get thrown back together for a work project and must determine whether or not to rekindle their romance or let sleeping dogs lie.

Cutest thing about the movie was the Wishing Christmas Tree concept.

Quite good!

[TashaF86 · 10/10 · 23 July 2020]

I'm surprised by the bad reviews. I wasn't sure if this would be a good Hallmark movie or not, but it was actually really good! I thought the two leads had great chemistry! It was fun and the storyline was a bit unique. Would watch again!

Typical Hallmark Treacle

[caseybones · 4/10 · 18 December 2015]

I want to like Hallmark movies, I really do. But they apparently have a standard formula; if you've seen one you've seen them all. There is either a lost love, a character with a dead spouse, or a divorced parent that still loves the other party. This one is the lost love plot and if you couldn't figure out the ending in the first 10 minutes you've never seen a Hallmark movie.

The supposedly ultra-glamorous sets for a trendy bridal magazine were standard Christmas decorations seen in any department store. The wedding dress was totally forgettable. This was supposed to be a top bridal rag and the poses were in front of a Christmas tree and a car? There was no thought toward making the "jobs" of either character the least bit authentic - what fashion photographer takes one shot and calls it "perfect" and walks away?

Zero chemistry between the characters and bad acting all around.

And my perennial complaint with Hallmark movies all shot on the same summer sound stage - green leaves on all of the trees, characters inappropriately dressed for what is supposed to be cold weather.

Two hours of my life I will not get back.

Leading lady lags in energy

[HotToastyRag · 3/10 · 3 December 2017]

Jessica Lowndes, a successful designer, is called in by her boss, Louise Pitre, for an emergency assignment. A bridal magazine needs reshoots for their Christmas wedding campaign, and the famous photographer Christopher Russell is flying in to assist them. The only problem is Jessica and Chris were college sweethearts until he took an internship in Paris and the distance broke them up. Reunited at Christmas, while planning a bridal photo shoot, means anything can happen. . .

There are two main problems with this Hallmark Christmas flick: Jessica Lowndes gives a very low energy performance, and the story isn't captivating enough. The alternative love interests for both leads aren't really written to have any major flaws, so besides their previous history, there's no real reason for the leads to be pushed towards each other. If you're like me and will watch anything remotely related to the holiday, you can absolutely watch Merry Matrimony. It won't hurt you, besides giving you a cavity, but it probably won't be one of your favorites you watch every year. You'll need a more captivating lead, like Candace Cameron Bure or Lacey Chabert, for that.

This is My 2nd Review of the Day

[fishfryluv2 · 2/10 · 22 November 2015]

I rated another holiday movie earlier today, so I am almost all out of Christmas cheer. But I mustered some up to review Merry Matrimony even though my wife and I watched about 50% of it. There was an NFL game that we were sort of watching at the same time, so we kept flipping back and forth between the game and Merry Matrimony. The game featured the Bengals and the Cardinals, and even though we have no rooting interest in either team, there were some players on my fantasy football team that I wanted to check in on. As of this writing, those players have accounted for 15.83 fantasy football points for me. Here's hoping that they add a few touchdowns to my point total before the game ends.

As for the movie, I just want to echo what my wife says about the main male character's jaw and how it is not real. She insisted that he had a chin implant. I wasn't so sure, but I changed my mind during this one scene where he and the female love interest are in a horse carriage going to Central Park. He tilted his head upwards, and there was definitely a scar on the bottom of his chin. An implant scar! My wife and I collectively gasped for 25 seconds when we saw that. It looks like he stuffed an entire steel bear trap into his jaw.

Anyways, there is love in the air in this movie. They are in New York, which is a pretty romantic place, so they would be a couple of morons if they don't end up with each other. And with that cash register of a jaw, the lead male character has everything he could possibly want. But for Christmas, I am getting him some scar cream.

Nonsensical

[kikisette · 2/10 · 22 November 2022]

I don't expect much when it comes to Christmas movies; my standards are pretty low. They are just something to have in the background while I'm doing other things, like wrapping gifts.

Most typical Christmas movie fare rates a 5. Some of the better offerings garner a 6, and once in a while, you see the rare Christmas "Unicorn" movie that deserves a 7 (think Love Actually). But this one...this piece of garbage...wishes it could be a 5. Heck, even a 3 would be aiming high.

I knew I was in for a bumpy ride when Eddie visited Brie at her apartment, after not having seen her for years. He said that he hoped it was okay that he stopped by and he had gotten her address from a fellow co-worker. Interesting, since she was literally in the same apartment as when they were in college together. Why would he need the address? Serious memory issues? Also, typical lazy set dressing; her Christmas decor in her apartment didn't change at all. It was identical. Who doesn't change up their holiday decor for 7 years? Hallmark couldn't spare a couple hundred bucks on different garland and lights. Seriously?

Also, the failure of this couple to communicate or have any chemistry at all was astounding. Hallmark loves to play that lack-of-communication-leading-to-confusion angle, but this one was especially unbelievable. It just went too far and could've been resolved by asking one simple question.

At the end, he proposes to her about 12 seconds after clearing up the confusion. Really?? And she throws the keys to the mansion they were using for the photo shoot and says they may as well use it, since they've got the keys for a couple more days. Really, really?? You didn't want to have time for family and friends fly in? Maybe have time to get a marriage license, so that it's legal? Was she so paranoid that he'd leave again, she needed to get it done before he came to his senses? Why couldn't they go with the "one year later" option?

Utter tripe. Some HM movies are worth a rewatch every year, even if they are barely entertaining. This isn't one of them.

I loved it!

[skaterwalker · 9/10 · 12 November 2017]

I absolutely loved this hallmark movie!! It is one of my favorites to watch during the Christmas season. I would love to see a sequel just to get an update on the characters. I thought the plot was very sweet and I wasn't able to predict the events that happened like I normally can In a hallmark film. The movie was the perfect amount of cheesiness and Christmas spirit!

Not the worst Hallmark movie but close

[hallmarkchristmasguy · 3/10 · 19 December 2022]

Hallmark Christmas movies are usually formulaic, easy to digest, predictable and generally entertaining if you enjoy the genre. There are even a number of ones which end up being quite good. Merry Matrimony is not one of those. While it has plenty of holiday spirit and follows the general formula, it is held back significantly by bottom tier acting and a horribly drawn out "it's all a misunderstanding" plot device

Normally in these movies, the love interests suffer some sort of conflict/misunderstanding/miscommunication which is quickly resolved and leads the to happy ending. In Merry Matrimony, this miscommunication is drawn out to an extreme, to the point where it becomes irritating to sit through and wrecks whatever momentum the movie had going for the first 50-60 minutes

On top of that, the acting is really quite poor all around. Christopher Russell, who plays the male lead, is passable although he always comes off as a bit one dimensional in these films. Jessica Lowndes plays the female lead and turns in a flat, uninspiring and seemingly bored performance. While their chemistry is decent, neither actor adds anything to their role and struggle to make the viewer care about their characters. The childhood friend is one of the most poorly side characters I've seen in over 200+ of these movies.

Definitely give this one a miss, there are many many better Hallmark Christmas movies.

Really hit and miss

[SunnyDaise · 4/10 · 15 December 2022]

Some bits of this movie are great but others are so unbelievable! The ending is particularly convenient and feels more like a stage play than a movie - with everyone back in for the curtain call. However, there's a good mix of ages in the lovely characters and the whole family can probably relate to someone or other on screen. I'm not a fan of cake in the face, especially at weddings, so I wasn't into that running joke, even though the cast obviously found it funny. Overall I prefer some other movies by these actors, but there are some really sweet / cute scenes so I'd almost be tempted to watch it again.