Bruce's Secret Nick
Ashley Matthews (Kari Hawker) has lived her entire life on her own and as such when Christmas arrives with all the decorations and festivities it only make her feel down, if that was possible as she is already down due to having no job and a car which needs fixing. That is when her neighbour, Nick (Bruce Davison - Runaway Jury), steps in and asks her to be his personal assistant. In doing so he lets Ashley in on his secret, not only is he rich but he spends his time secretly helping others, from those who are homeless to those who are sick and lonely. Whilst still not full of Christmas cheer Ashley starts to enjoy helping others only for things to become complicated when she meets a journalist, Will (K.C. Clyde - Deadly Sibling Rivalry), who spots a great storyline in what Nick does and by doing so threatens to ruin things by blowing his cover.
What do you look for in a Christmas movie? Is it some fun and romance set against a Christmassy backdrop or do you want something which will fill you with warmth and make you want to be a better person. If it is fun and romance then the chances are that "Christmas Angel", also known as "The Christmas Miracle", will probably disappoint with the rom-com part of the movie feeling weak and predictable. But if you enjoy movies which fill you with warmth and inspire you to do some good you should enjoy this and probably add "Christmas Angel" to your annual Christmas movie list.
So technically "Christmas Angel" is a romantic, comedy, drama but as mentioned the romantic comedy side of the movie is not that great. This side of the movie is too obvious, so that whilst Ashley is a bit shy and guarded when it comes to letting people into her life you know that she will end up with Will. And whilst Will initially comes across as shallow his goodness will shine through come the end of the movie. Basically this side lacks originality and whilst a little cute there is no great chemistry going on, just some simple pleasantness.
But "Christmas Angel" isn't really a Christmas romantic comedy but a movie about making the audience feel good and leading them to want to be better people. Some might call this sentimental and sappy, I don't and by the time "Christmas Angel" had come to an expectedly pleasant end it had made me feeling warm and fuzzy inside whilst making me want to help others. The reason for this is actually Bruce Davison who is brilliant as Nick, making him this soothing spirit of generosity with a knowing wisdom of having lived life. Okay so the fact he is called Nick and is a bit of a secret Santa is a bit corny and there are a few other corny things but you know what when "Christmas Angel" wins you over the corniness of it doesn't matter one iota.
Because "Christmas Angel" is all about how it makes you feel and not so much about the romantic comedy it also doesn't matter that there isn't a great deal of believable chemistry between Kari Hawker and K.C. Clyde as Ashley and Will. But each play their part well with Kari Hawker reminding me of Sandra Bullock from "While You Were Sleeping", sad and lonely but good hearted, whilst K.C. Clyde may not have the looks of some actors, his normality and enthusiasm makes him a pleasure to watch.
What this all boils down to is that whilst "Christmas Angel" has an element of romantic comedy it is really a Christmas drama about human kindness and doing things for others. As such if you want to watch a Christmas movie which will fill you with warmth and make you want to do something for others it is definitely worth watching.
Tags: Christmas Movies