Oct 25

Oct 25 'Miracles of Christmas' movie review: 'A Merry Christmas Match'

Lead Ashley Newbrough's performance in “A Merry Christmas Match” (premiering Oct. 25 as part of the Hallmark’s Miracles of Christmas) makes it so easy for the audience to fall in love with her turn as a small-town girl with reservations about leaving her beloved hometown.

In short: Corey (Newbrough) works at her late father's antique shop, but sparks immediately fly when Los Angeles bachelor Ryder (Kyle Dean Massey) arrives in town - making her wonder about the theatrical dreams she put off.

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"Christmas Match" is super light on plot - it's basically a meet-cute, followed by instant, romantic attraction. To its credit, the movie doesn't come up with a string of plot contrivances or weird plot turns, it just lets Corey and Ryder to get to know each other and organically fall for each other. Their blossoming relationship just feels right from the start - and it naturally evolves into a sweet romance.

The core of the movie is spent shaking up Corey's world. She's perfectly content planning her skiing town's Christmas pageant and running a struggling antiques shop - that is, until Corey meets Ryder. And for the first time since her father passed away, Corey considers a life outside of the mountain town, one where she pursues her own aspirations. Yes "Christmas Match" is a lovely romance, but the story is more invested in Corey's conflicted obligation she feels in keeping her dad's store open.

For all the energy "Christmas Match" puts into trying to drag Corey out of her small town - it doesn't spend much time establishing solid reasons for her to stay in her hometown. The movie alludes to some vague promise Corey made to her father and hinting that she has a background in theatrical direction. But the script does very little to show off her directing ability - that's left to some throwaway lines of dialogue about how much she loves directing pageants at the art center. And if her primary inner conflict is whether to take a risk by leaving or play it safe by staying, "Christmas Match" doesn't establish Corey as some untapped genius or why it would be super easy for Corey to stay home.

These weaknesses are offset by a lead performance that establishes Corey as an earnest daughter just trying to do the right thing by her parents - even if it comes at the cost of her dreams. Newbrough fleshes out a character comfortable in her inert life, but willing to considering a new adventure, all the while surprised at how deeply she's falling in love with L.A.'s most wanted bachelor.

Final verdict: "Match" uses an effortless romance to tell the story of a woman conflicted about her future. What the story lacks in details around Corey, it makes up with an endearing lead performance.