Throughout my whole Christmas film completest quest undertaken since late 2019, 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 Hallmark's output. There was however always the expectation of seeing a film where one can see at least some effort rather than merely cash-in level. One could see that with enough of Hallmark's output but not all.
'A Bramble House Christmas' is not a Christmas classic, but seeing it the amount of effort that went into it was more than evident throughout. Hallmark's Christmas output has been very variable, the best ones being surprisingly well done and the worst being terrible. 'A Bramble House Christmas' in many ways is one of their overall best, with almost everything done remarkably well and only a couple of things done imperfectly which was not unexpected in a way.
Have never expected much originality from Hallmark, and attempts at doing something different were quite rare. 'A Bramble House Christmas' is not much of an exception, with the story being yet another variation on a very familiar and still done to death (for Hallmark) formula. So story-wise it is rather predictable with some slow spots here and there.
Perhaps the ending is a touch on the pat side, common with Hallmark. Do have to agree too that one character's change of heart does not make much sense (if there was any explanation provided it did escape me), is revealed too suddenly.
On the other hand, there is a lot to love here. Autumn Reeser is immensely engaging as Willa, a character that is more identifiable than most female lead characters, she doesn't overdo it while also having none of the going through the motions quality. David Haydn-Jones is even better, doing sympathetic in a very nuanced way and it is very easy to see the character's appeal. The Hallmark festive films are very variable when it comes to the chemistry between their two leads, 'A Bramble House Christmas' is an example of the warm and genuine kind that develops realistically if not perhaps deeply. The rest of the cast are strong too, with a scene stealing Teryl Rothery and adorable Liam Hughes particularly impressing.
Moreover, the production values still manage to be great, one of the best looking Hallmark festive films of that year. It's not too drab or garish in photography, the editing didn't seem rushed or disorganised and the scenery has a real charm to it. Most of the soundtrack is nostalgic and appealing to listen to, capturing the festive spirit well. Hallmark had a real habit of over-scoring their films but that's not as much the case here. The script just about avoids being corny and saccharine, both of which are common for Hallmark, and the story is mostly very engaging, easy to be uplifted by and heart-warming. Did like the characters too and they came over as more real than a lot of Hallmark Christmas films.
Concluding, really liked it on the whole. 8/10
