Christmas films can go either way, which has been my experience watching overtime the festive output of primarily Lifetime, UPTV and Hallmark amongst those other companies. They can either be well-meaning, charming, warm-hearted and don't feel too heavy. Or they can be too over-sentimental, cheesy, contrived and bland. There have been many films of theirs that have fallen in both camps and in the camp where there is a bit of both. And 'Christmas by Chance' did have the sort of premise where the execution could have gone either way.
2021 really did vary when it came to Lifetime's 2021 Christmas films. 'Christmas by Chance' actually surprisingly fared reasonably well. It is a long way from being one of the worst 2021 Christmas films, and on the whole is one of the most inoffensive films in the batch. It doesn't start off that way, can be unrealistic and maybe could have done with more spark with the male lead and the romantic chemistry, but on the whole it does get better and is one of the better faring films in the batch.
It doesn't get off to the best of starts, with some awkward dialogue to begin with and the female lead character comes over as far too clueless. Did find Jacob Blair on the bland side and he didn't look very relaxed.
There is signs of chemistry between him and Winny Clarke, but there could have been a lot more soul and emotion to it as it did feel a bit too lukewarm for most of the film. Didn't care for the conflict, which is too forced and rushed and made her treatment of him too mean spirited.
However, there is a lot done right. Clarke is a very winning female lead and plays her with a perky down to earth charm that was most endearing, didn't always like her character but she did become a lot more likeable quite quickly. Celine Tsai is a zesty bundle of appealing energy and has great comic timing. The supporting cast are all solid and mostly the characters come over well, not too perfect and other Lifetime films do far worse when it comes to overdoing character flaws.
Production values are attractive throughout, especially the scenery and decor, and the music while intrusive at times is pleasant and has festive nostalgia. The script is amusingly light hearted, with some genuinely funny comedic moments and set pieces. The story is a typical one and is far from perfect, but it has a warm heart and charm, is sweet without being sugary and has a light hearted-ness without it coming over as a joke parody.
Summing up, uneven but above average. Worth taking a chance on. 6/10.
