I am usually a sucker for any more set in New York City. Whether it is a gangster movie, cop film, or a romantic comedy, I usually enjoy the surroundings and references to many places I’ve been to or have to visit.
12 Gifts of Christmas was a unique way to introduce two people who would have never met otherwise. Anna (Katrina Law) is an artist just looking to catch her big break. Marc (Aaron O’Connell) is a marketing agent who couldn’t find time for his personal life, even if it was scheduled into his calendar. He hires Anna to go Christmas shopping for him, only she goes against his wishes and picks out more personal gifts.
After a fallout, Marc realizes that life isn’t all about work. He should focus his attention on repairing personal relationships in life, including his family that he never sees. Together the pair will spend time and change both their personal and professional lives for the best.
A tad bit of this movie is corny, like the fact, Marc’s mother and sister instantly fall in love with Anna and consider her part of the family after one meeting. It is also borderline crazy that the characters in their scenes spend way too much time smiling. I get that this is a Hallmark Christmas movie, but people are not always 100% happy.
Marc does a bunch of bonehead stuff to really drive a wedge into his relationship with Anna. It is not my position to say whether he was right or wrong; he was just stupid sometimes. Meanwhile, Anna is ready to break free yet won’t change much to achieve that next step. I was quite confused because she goes to look at a studio apartment to finally move on her own, yet packs up to move and never moves. It appears the stress of the holidays can really mess with people’s emotions.
I enjoyed 12 Gifts of Christmas because they didn’t force the romance between Anna and Marc. It was built up naturally. Of course, these two are attractive, so it was bound to happen, just usually these movies force our characters together. There isn’t a past between the two, which is always used as a crutch in these movies, a welcome addition to the story.
This movie came out five years ago, which means you may have already seen it or never heard of it. If you’re a Hallmark movie junkie, then this is right up your alley. If you love Christmas romance movies, this will also be a hit for you. 5/10
Ten Stars or Less 