7.4 stars.
Whenever I watch a movie with Lowndes I get ready for disappointment, because she is so very pretty and multi-talented, yet her screen personality lacks pizzazz. She's one of those picture perfect gals that lights up the set and makes everyone enthusiastic. She doesn't have any sad or forlorn expressions, it's always happy, joyful, exuberant, sometimes a bit snobbish. Her characters are generally precocious and witty, but rarely does she exude any supreme depth of character. Her talents are limited where acting skills are in play, but she more than compensates with her raw beauty. It does appear she's had augmentation, but that doesn't change the fact that overall she has a confidence and style that only the top females exhibit. When she's on point, it's unicorns and shooting stars above the usual mundane stuff, and that's what I'm always anticipating. Alas I'm disappointed when it doesn't happen, as in 'I'm Glad It's Christmas'.
This film is nothing new, nothing special and the theme is worn out like an old sweater. Mr. Greene is not as obnoxious as usual, I was enjoying his portrayal of a father who writes jingles for a living and music as a hobby. He has a daughter, she's a really neat girl, but we don't get to see enough of her. Lowndes' best friend character was a nice motivator, but her part was not explored. I could see the actress who portrays her in a lead role at some point. The older lady who hires them to do the Holiday show is really great, I bet the casting director had to work hard getting her for this. I can feel that she demands perfection, and that shows in the person she plays in the story. She is a very kind and hopeful professional, perfectionistic, and true to herself. She does justice to the part.
The whole ensemble was good, but the entertainment level was lacking. I attribute this to an absence of chemistry. It feels like Greene is at least 20 years older than Lowndes and when I looked it up I see he's born in 1974, she in 1988. It's too vast a difference for me to find it plausible. While I imagine he's dapper for his age, it's still a stretch. Do they not have any other men who sing to fill this role? I do like him as an actor at times, it's hit and miss for me, as is she. If comparing them to a blackjack hand, in this movie he is standing on a hard eighteen and she decides to hold fast with a ten and two, because for now the dealer is showing a 6. Unfortunately, the dealer flips an 8 and a 4.