SidlumCB5 Reviews

A Royal Christmas Crush (2023 TV Movie)

Awful!

[2/10 · 28 August 2023]

I don't generally review that often because it's Hallmark, & I mean, you know what you're getting into. This movie was terrible! The plot is chewed up, but fine, whatever. This ice castle is too unique to keep using over & over again, but fine, whatever. But the casting?? Katie Cassidy can barely move her new lips or close her mouth & she used to be wonderful from the days of Gossip Girl & on! Trying to watch her speak dialogue was painful. And if they really wanted Stephen Huzsar to have an accent, they really should've paid for a better dialect coach for him. That accent was half American, a quarter Valley, & 3/4 no one knows. And finally, it's 2023 - the bare minimum you can do is change the date on an iPhone so it doesn't show March 12th, 3:13AM in a text convo that's supposed to take place right before Christmas. There's definitely enough in the production budget for that. The only reason I finished this film is because I'm Type A & needed to cross it off of my Hallmark Movie Checklist. Would never recommend it to anyone.

When Love Springs (2023 TV Movie)

Just let them be Australian!

[4/10 · 21 June 2023]

So far every movie I've watched with Rhiannon Fish has been cringey because she's so over the top with the childishness (see "A Picture of Her"). But this time, in addition to that, the Australian accents peeking through each secondary & tertiary character's dialogue was so distracting. Could've just let them keep their original accents at that point & had Rhiannon try one considering she's the only non-Aussie in the film. Or have a dialect coach if you're going to use local actors? Didn't see any chemistry with the leads either. The sister Cleo was the most natural actor out of all of them. I just finished it to check it off my Hallmark Movie Checklist.

Jolly Good Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

Worst "NY" Accent

[4/10 · 10 November 2022]

Honestly, I wanted to love this SO much. London is my favorite city in the entire world, Christmas in London is out of this world, & I'm a South Asian woman so I was thrilled to see Reshma Shetty as the lead. I even waited for my parents so we could watch it together. Sadly, we were all so beyond bored, we just watched it to finish it.

The thing that threw me off the most, however, was Will Kemp's HORRIBLE American/"NY" accent. Being a New Yorker, and also LOVING the British accent, it was so bad, I couldn't pay attention to anything else, it was so cringey. You could visibly see him struggling with the "r." Why they needed him to be American is beyond me, his natural accent would've worked just perfectly in this setting.

The story was pretty decent, loved the characters that played Callum & his husband, as well as Anjali's parents.

I doubt I'd ever watch it again because there are much better "Christmas in London" movies out there..with an accent much more pleasurable to the ear.

A Maple Valley Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

Everyone Was Annoying

[3/10 · 10 November 2022]

Honestly, I don't generally review movies, especially Hallmark, because you know what you're signing up for. But every character in this one was aggravating, except for Andrew Walker, the brother in law, & poor Leo.

Firstly, zero chemistry between the leads. The initial "passionate" kiss within hours of knowing the man was ridiculous, moreso since it was followed by Peyton List's character flouncing off & attacking Andrew Walker's character with zero justification.

Secondly, the mom was horrific! Who suddenly announces a retirement, a new boyfriend, & a permanent trip to Italy on her kids - during Christmas - & then is annoyed that her oldest daughter is taken aback & is emotional about it!? I would be livid.

Third, Peyton List's character annoyed me just in general (the above paragraph notwithstanding) & her sister was a whiny baby.

I'm only finishing it because I "must" cross these off of my list, but never again.

Partner Track (2022)

Needs A Lead Who Can Act

[4/10 · 5 September 2022]

I'm on episode 9 because I don't/can't give up on a show once I start it, but the Arden Cho's acting really tanks this show! She has no emotional range, neither vocally or facially. There is just a bunch of opening & closing her mouth and putting her lips together & darting her eyes left to right to show some expression. Add a bunch of random sighs in there & it's abysmal. Between her acting & the fact that her character has a ZERO chance of any redemptive arc, it's painful to watch. Even the actor that plays Murphy isn't really able to portray what the character is supposedly supposed to be. I am continuing to watch because I enjoy Tyler & Rachel's stories & the actors that play them. Even the Marty Adler character is fun to watch because the actor does a good job. I would be ok without a second season - or if they find another talented AAPI individual to take on the lead role:

A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022)

Books Are Better

[6/10 · 28 January 2022]

I started attempting to watch this for a second time since I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, which this series is based on. I think the casting is what makes it very bland for me. Harkness's words just leapt off the page & you could imagine each scene as if it was really happening. Unfortunately, the series just doesn't have the same imagination.

Saint Street (2012)

Poor Acting

[1/10 · 7 August 2018]

I'm not sure why so many people rated this so highly, I couldn't even get through the first 25 minutes. The acting is AWFUL. I couldn't bear to watch them struggle through the lines & the delivery. The best actors were the two kids. Maybe the cast does better work in their other films, but the stiff, wooden acting in this one combined with the blank facial expressions made me turn it off.