6.6 stars.
All honesty, I grinned a few times, laughed once. That's more than I can say for most Hallmark. I am Italian from Jersey, so the NY setting is not lost on me.
The lead actress did the Queens personality justice, and he played a good British accented prince of Exeter. What I really enjoyed was how authentic everything seemed. I said authentic, not realistic. The glaring improbabilities were things such as her father, ex-military, truck driver being a skilled piano player. Ummm, nope. And her grandmother (Nona) had been married 55 years, and her husband had died some years ago. Uh uh. She wasn't a day over 65, and her daughter is pushing 50.
It took a bit for me to warm up to her, and he was a bit juvenile for a while - but they bounced back.
Her mother was the quintessential NY Italian matriarch figure we are all familiar with (think of Cher in Moonstruck). Not as rough as Cher, but the same general feeling.
Some say this movie started off well, and ended badly? Nay, nay, quite the opposite indeed. But, somewhere along the line it kinda got lost, and there were a few slow parts where it strayed off course.
The ending did not disappoint.
I have watched 23 and reviewed 21 Hallmark Christmas movies so far this week. I currently have 70 on DVR and will probably record another 50 or more. The two I didn't comment on were so abysmal I didn't watch enough of them to write a review. This one ranks #15 of the 23, so not too shabby. I suppose in light of that, take it or leave it. I'd still watch this one if I had the choice, but it would be placed on the back burner.
All honesty, I grinned a few times, laughed once. That's more than I can say for most Hallmark. I am Italian from Jersey, so the NY setting is not lost on me.
The lead actress did the Queens personality justice, and he played a good British accented prince of Exeter. What I really enjoyed was how authentic everything seemed. I said authentic, not realistic. The glaring improbabilities were things such as her father, ex-military, truck driver being a skilled piano player. Ummm, nope. And her grandmother (Nona) had been married 55 years, and her husband had died some years ago. Uh uh. She wasn't a day over 65, and her daughter is pushing 50.
It took a bit for me to warm up to her, and he was a bit juvenile for a while - but they bounced back.
Her mother was the quintessential NY Italian matriarch figure we are all familiar with (think of Cher in Moonstruck). Not as rough as Cher, but the same general feeling.
Some say this movie started off well, and ended badly? Nay, nay, quite the opposite indeed. But, somewhere along the line it kinda got lost, and there were a few slow parts where it strayed off course.
The ending did not disappoint.
I have watched 23 and reviewed 21 Hallmark Christmas movies so far this week. I currently have 70 on DVR and will probably record another 50 or more. The two I didn't comment on were so abysmal I didn't watch enough of them to write a review. This one ranks #15 of the 23, so not too shabby. I suppose in light of that, take it or leave it. I'd still watch this one if I had the choice, but it would be placed on the back burner.