Christmas On The River/In Louisiana (2019) -
So the main theme of this film was that anyone who got nominated as the candy cane King and Queen (I think that's what they called it) always seemed to end up together and the further magic was that they stayed together.
The Grandparents played by Dee Wallace and Barry Bostwick were living proof that the wonder of it worked and those characters, Doris and Timothy were really quite enjoyable to watch and aspirational too. As much as I loved him in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975), this was definitely one of Barry's better roles, certainly in more recent years.
The next generation and the leading ladies Mum, Charlotte (Moira Kelly) didn't seem to have been quite as lucky, as her husband had passed on leaving her without the forever part of the magic. However, the story that developed between her and the photographer Mark (Brian McNamara) was actually far more interesting than that of the "Leading" pair and the scenes in which the two older generations featured were the better ones, that carried the film and made it worth watching. It would be nice to see people of a certain age as the focus and getting their chance to shine in romantic roles, for a bit of variety and diversity and I'm sure it could be just as cute with the right directors and actors. Older people still find love too.
As for the third couple, the troublesome element, that had separated at the actual crowning ceremony, when they were teenagers and essentially the main plot of the film, it was obvious how things were going to go down and in itself that was disappointing, but I saw no connection between Percy Daggs III as Luke or Jana Kramer playing Sarah. Percy was cute enough, I wouldn't have continued with it if he hadn't been, but their chemistry was just all over the place.
Firstly, I missed why she changed her mind about him at the beginning? And they quickly got really silly and then they became friendly very suddenly and easily too. But they never really resolved the previous issue of why he dumped her all those years before?
Also the barrier she put up against their relationship happening at the end was stupid.
So overall this film was a mixed bag of good and bad, with missed opportunities to deliver the nicer romances and to show the love of the Grandparents, interspersed with the boring standard nonsense of Luke and Sarah. In some ways it could have been directed by two different people, because the scenes and delivery were so very juxtaposed to each other.
5/10.
So the main theme of this film was that anyone who got nominated as the candy cane King and Queen (I think that's what they called it) always seemed to end up together and the further magic was that they stayed together.
The Grandparents played by Dee Wallace and Barry Bostwick were living proof that the wonder of it worked and those characters, Doris and Timothy were really quite enjoyable to watch and aspirational too. As much as I loved him in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975), this was definitely one of Barry's better roles, certainly in more recent years.
The next generation and the leading ladies Mum, Charlotte (Moira Kelly) didn't seem to have been quite as lucky, as her husband had passed on leaving her without the forever part of the magic. However, the story that developed between her and the photographer Mark (Brian McNamara) was actually far more interesting than that of the "Leading" pair and the scenes in which the two older generations featured were the better ones, that carried the film and made it worth watching. It would be nice to see people of a certain age as the focus and getting their chance to shine in romantic roles, for a bit of variety and diversity and I'm sure it could be just as cute with the right directors and actors. Older people still find love too.
As for the third couple, the troublesome element, that had separated at the actual crowning ceremony, when they were teenagers and essentially the main plot of the film, it was obvious how things were going to go down and in itself that was disappointing, but I saw no connection between Percy Daggs III as Luke or Jana Kramer playing Sarah. Percy was cute enough, I wouldn't have continued with it if he hadn't been, but their chemistry was just all over the place.
Firstly, I missed why she changed her mind about him at the beginning? And they quickly got really silly and then they became friendly very suddenly and easily too. But they never really resolved the previous issue of why he dumped her all those years before?
Also the barrier she put up against their relationship happening at the end was stupid.
So overall this film was a mixed bag of good and bad, with missed opportunities to deliver the nicer romances and to show the love of the Grandparents, interspersed with the boring standard nonsense of Luke and Sarah. In some ways it could have been directed by two different people, because the scenes and delivery were so very juxtaposed to each other.
5/10.