you peep pretty loud for a chick that can't even find its own worms

Average rating: 6.4

A Very Vintage Christmas (2019) - "Dodie (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) is a hopeless

romantic, just like the pieces in her vintage antique shop. When Dodie finds a hidden box full of romantic trinkets, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Following the address, she manages to persuade the handsome but reluctant new tenant, Edward (Jesse Hutch), to help her with her search." 

length: 1h, 27m  |  source: streamed on TubiTV  |  directed by Paul A. Kaufman  |  why I watched: typical Christmas season curiosity and hope for a rare Hallmark-adjacent movie win

IMDb: 6.1/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 29% Audience  |  my IMDb: 3/10  |  MPAA: TV-G

tone & texture: warm, crisp & modern

my notes: insultingly facile, this is a community theater-level show. Mowry-Hardrict phones it in, and Hutch is clearly just the eye-candy. When the most interesting character is the waitress at the diner....

themes: love, hope

overall: not recommended

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - "A romantic comedy about Elizabeth

Lane, a New York magazine writer who pretends to be a perfect farm wife for her popular column. When her publisher insists she host a Christmas dinner for a war hero who admires her recipes, she must navigate the chaos of her deception while falling in love with him." 

length: 1h, 41m  |  source: streamed on Amazon Prime (purchased)  |  directed by Peter Godfrey  |  why I watched: I've seen it, though I've not reviewed before

IMDb: 7.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 89% / 76% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: warm, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "I'm not in the flipping mood this morning, Mr. Yardley."

my notes: Barbara Stanwyck's Elizabeth is what they used to call 'plucky'. She's smart, working from a disadvantage, and creative. She has good friends, especially Felix Bassenak (S.Z. Sakall), who will go out of their way for her. It is fun to watch her wriggle her way out of some self-made messes - and, of course, to have her unexpected Christmas romance. 

themes: love, found family

overall:  recommended

 

Tokyo Godfathers {Tôkyô goddofâzâzu} (2003) - "An animated film about

three homeless individuals—an alcoholic named Gin, a transgender woman named Hana, and a teenage runaway named Miyuki—who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve. They embark on a journey through Tokyo to find the baby's parents, confronting their own pasts and forming a makeshift family along the way." 

length: 1h, 32m  |  source: streamed on TubiTV  |  directed by Shôgo Furuya, Satoshi Kan  |  why I watched: it was recommended due to my interests in Asian cinema and Christmas-season movies

IMDb: 7.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 92% / 91% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: cynical, absurd/surreal

notable quote: "My kind of man is slender, middle-aged, tan, with a divine square-back haircut and a lower town accent, who says 'Ah what the hell' when I don't quite have the cab fare."

my notes: this is one weird f'ing film. I'm not into anime, which obviously skews my perceptions. 

    The story is very holiday-ish, even if it's not "about" Christmas. The way the characters go about it is, uhm, untraditional (as are the characters themselves). It is quite violent and generally upsetting, though the payoff is big and feels earned. This one is definitely not for everyone, and I hope to never see it again. It was well-made, though, and crafted at such a high level, that I have to rate it pretty high. 

themes: redemption, found family

overall: strongly recommended

 

Angel on my Shoulder (1946) - "Gangster Eddie Kagle finally gets out of

prison but is promptly killed by his partner and ends up in Hell. The surprisingly suave Devil offers him a chance to return to Earth, but in the body of an honest judge. The Devil intends to ruin the judge's reputation. However, Kagle's experiences lead him to question his past and seek redemption instead."

length: 1h, 40m  |  source: streamed on Amazon Prime  |  directed by Archie Mayo  |  why I watched: Christmas with my parents = find a mutually-agreeable movie

IMDb: 6.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 64% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: gritty, noir shadows

notable quote: "'Some folks are rather reluctant to cast their votes for lunatics.' 

    'I hadn't noticed.'"

my notes: ranks in the top five strangest movies I've seen, despite the straightforward plot. Paul Muni plays Eddie as a coarse and unappealing thug (see also: every Muni role, ever). Anne Baxter plays the judge's fiancée, Barbara. She brings real warmth and humanity to this otherwise unapproachable, bizarre story. This is heavy-message noir.

themes: redemption

overall:  recommended for the curious

Naughty & Nice (2014) - "A cynical radio host is banished from Los

Angeles to rural Colorado, where he is assigned to co-host with a hopeless romantic. Their initial on-air conflict leads to a budding relationship that captures the interest of the entire town." 

length: 1h, 28m  |  source: streamed on PlutoTV  |  directed by Sam Irvin  |  why I watched: after the last one, I wanted a sure win (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 5.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 46% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: TV-PG

tone & texture: warm, soft & naturalistic

my notes: I've got a soft spot for this one, which hits at the intersection of sweet and snarky. The goofy, slightly creepy sidekick is the best part.

themes: love, transformation, identity

overall:  recommended

[the title quotation is from Tokyo Godfathers]