I liked the story line and the lead actor but there was no obvious chemistry between the two leads. And the actress, well...she should stick to being the villoness; she always has a look of being devious and hateful about her. Perhaps they can remake this movie with a different lead actress.
Mr. 365
2018
Action / Drama / Romance
Mr. 365
2018
Action / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
Sophia Worthy, a documentary filmmaking graduate, has just started working as a producer at Super Real Productions, which specializes in reality television, the job for her solely to pay the bills. It's early November, and with their story idea having just fallen through for the premier episode of "Extreme Holidays", it the Christmas episode to air Christmas Eve, her boss, Paul Rivera, believes he's found a new Christmas subject in thirty-three year old scenic designer Will Saunders, a man who has decorated the interior of his house in a Christmas theme all year 'round, he probably doing the same for the exterior if not for the court injunction by one of his bah-humbug neighbors not allowing him to do so until Thanksgiving. Instead of the oddball she expects to meet, Sophia finds Will is sincere in his reasons for this Christmas obsession. In part pushing the right buttons, Sophia is able to convince a skeptical Will to be the subject for the Christmas episode, with one of those buttons being to highlight his many charitable efforts, including for the homeless, he actually employing a temporarily homeless man, Hank, around his house. That convincing also includes one lie: that she is as go-hung about Christmas as he is, she in reality having sworn off Christmas and men following the break-up with her last boyfriend, who cheated on her. On the other side, Will admits to Hank that he agreeing to do the show is largely because he is attracted to Sophia. As such, Will and Sophia end up embarking on a relationship behind the scenes, she breaking an ethical code in dating the talent. Beyond the possibility of being caught which could ruin Sophia's career, a Sophia-Will happy ending is threatened by the tug-of war Sophia faces, between trying to be true to Will in presenting him as the kind soul he truly is, against Paul and by association the network's want for good television, which for Paul not only means playing up Will's good looks as the proverbial chick magnet by showing him without his shirt whenever possible, but presenting him as a lunatic chick magnet in this obsession of his with Christmas.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
No chemistry makes for a bad show
Pretty bad spoof on reality show
The writing is bad, the directing is bad and the acting is strained. The situations are stupid and unbelievable. Quite possibly one of the worse Christmas movies I've seen and I've seen quite a few.
Dullness at Christmas
Throughout my whole Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas film completest quest undertaken namely late last year through to early this year, an interesting quest but very mixed one, there was never the mentality of expecting a classic or the film in question to be flawless. Something that was never managed with Lifetime's output but in some cases it came not too far off. There was always the expectation of seeing a film where one can see at least some effort rather than merely cash-in level.
2018's 'Forever Christmas' is sadly not one of watchable ones, though is not quite cash in level quality. Have absolutely personal against Lifetime and have liked enough of their work, but when they were on bad form the film in question was bad. While not one of their all time worst, 'Forever Christmas' fits this negative definition sadly. Very little works and the worst aspects are pretty awful and this is being said with regret, not malice.
'Forever Christmas' is not a disaster. The scenery is truly beautiful and the photography is also attractive and slickly framed.
Christopher Russell is a likeable leading man that deserved a better film and female lead, much better than he was in 'Merry Matrimony' where he was too introverted.
Was a lot less enamoured by Chelsea Hobbs however, who came over as bland and awkward. 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 Lifetime 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 Lifetime, 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 'Forever Christmas' 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.
Overall, weak. 3/10.