Though predictable and unoriginal, 'Christmas at Castle Hart' is entertaining nonetheless with some beautiful Irish scenery and landscapes, appealing performances, and some lovely Irish dancing and Christmas celebration. At the center of our story is Brooke (played by Lacey Chabert), a thirty-something divorcee who, along with her sister Margo (played by Ali Hardiman), were recently fired from their (waitressing) jobs with one of the most sought after event planners. Margo thinks they should start their own event planning business, but first, what about a trip to Ireland for Christmas to search for their father's Irish roots? They're off. While at an Irish pub, they meet Aiden Hart (played by Stuart Townsend), who offers to give them a personal tour of Castle Hart. While there, they are mistaken for (or rather pose as) the elite event planner they used to work for and are hired to plan a Christmas party at the castle hosted by the Duchess of Abercorn (played by Kate O'Toole). The catch is, they only have 12 days to plan this grand Christmas event. All in all, it is an entertaining story. The writers do a good job of developing the dialogue between the sisters, which made me chuckle a few times. Indeed, the (light) humor is entertaining throughout the movie. I especially like the 'the partridge is still in the pear tree' scene. It made me chuckle. The romance and dialogue between Brooke and Aiden were pretty good, a bit of a soft touch in this one, which I felt worked fine on-screen. The family roots element of the story gets lost a bit in the narrative. However, it does remerge with a twist in a touching scene at the end. Many reviewers took issue with the morality of the movie's message. Of course, I understand the points made regarding the nature of lying and deception in the film. However, if I am being honest, I didn't think much of it while watching the movie. That is, it did not take anything away from my viewing experience. Given that deception/mistaken identity is a very popular plot device used by writers in this genre of film, maybe I have become immune to it and its implications. Or maybe, I don't take Hallmark movies too seriously. It's probably a bit of both. The acting overall was strong. Chabert, a Hallmark regular, had her usual warm performance. Townsend, a well-known Irish actor, was also convincing in his role as Aiden, the Earl of Glaslough. The two had pretty good chemistry as well, which kept me engaged with the story. Hardiman does a good job of portraying the corky, goofy sister Margo. And I can't forget the no-nonsense performance by O'Toole. Well done. From the snow-covered Irish countryside, along with the beautifully decorated castle, to traditional Irish dance and song, the film has a pleasing Christmas feel to it, which most will enjoy. If you are looking for something warm and fun with a touch of Irish holiday cheer, 'Christmas at Castle Hart' might be the Christmas rom-com for you.
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toddsgraham15 December 2021
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JoBloTheMovieCritic26 December 20215/10 - I love a Lacey Chabert Christmas movie as much (or even more) as the next person, but I felt like her charm was a bit buried in this rather boring 2021 Hallmark Channel offering.
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lorriehoagland-3805728 November 2021I really don't like the basis of the storyline. I was so looking forward to this movie with it being set in Ireland and I really like Lacey Chabert, and I can't complain about the other actors in this as far as the acting goes. But the premise of the movie was that the sisters did nothing but lie the whole time. Big lies. And then to have all their deception so easily forgiven at the end of the movie is ridiculous. If Brooke (Lacey's character) had come clean midway or so in the movie and then was still allowed to finish planning the event because the Hart's had no one else to turn to it would have been better. All in all I was really disappointed in the movie.
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paul_haakonsen12 December 2021This 2021 Hallmark Christmas movie actually have me sort of conflicted.
On one hand, the movie was actually rather enjoyable and proved to be more than the usual Hallmark Christmas cheese of over-the-top romance. Sure, the movie had romance in it as well, but the romance didn't feel overshadowing for the storyline and the rest of the movie.
Then on the other hand, the storyline sort of indicates that lying through your teeth and identity theft is something that is okay to do, and you won't even get a slap on the wrist for doing so. On that account then writers Bonnie Fairweather, Paul Campbell and Rick Garman sort of dropped the ball.
But if you can look past the blatant disregard for the identity theft and the criminal implications that leads to, then the storyline told in "Christmas at Castle Hart" was actually entertaining and enjoyable. And director Stefan Scaini did manage to deliver a wholesome Christmas movie.
There is a good cast ensemble in this movie, with the likes of Lacey Chabert and Stuart Townsend in the lead roles. They carried the movie quite well, and definitely had good on-screen chemistry.
If you enjoy Christmas movies, then you certainly should give "Christmas at Castle Hart" a chance, provided you get the chance to watch it. I was genuinely entertained by this movie.
My rating of "Christmas at Castle Hart" lands on a six out of ten stars. -
pchanning329 November 2021Traditional Hallmark plot lines - except the "silly sister" character tended to get in the way. I am disappointed that Hallmark producers couldn't find a less goofy actress. She was a distraction to the flow of the film. Here's to returning to "what works" in the future.
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Hallmark since the pandemic especially has really changed in production quality,why surprised one of the nice things can say overall on this movie.. It was actually in Ireland & not Canada,pretending it was elsewhere.
Not worth seeing again,unlike older made productions. -
Jrsny128 November 2021.....too bad the writers felt they needed to weave in a subplot built on false backgrounds and work experiences for the leading characters. The primary story ....the primary actors....the locations....all were terrific. There were countless other ways to explain the sisters involvement other than base it on exaggerated, made up stories. Why?
Great characters....beautiful scenery.....wonderful supporting cast......an above average hallmark Christmas movie....a shame they needed to rely on the truest characters resorting to false lives. -
Jackbv12328 November 2021This is a bit too silly for my taste. There is a lot of humor based on doing something embarrassing or trying to explain it away or both. The sisters are a little bit too much on the wrong side of honesty. Also constant pretending to be someone else or related to someone else. So if you like this kind of comedy, go for it.
Hiding a false identity is a common trope in rom/coms. Most of them are mostly innocent. This one is outright dishonest impersonation. Blatant deception. Again, not to my liking. You know the situation is going to get uglier and uglier and it should. I have to say that I had no idea how it was going to get resolved although you know what the final outcome will be. Of course the deception is revealed and for me, the sisters didn't deserve to be rescued, but of course they were. And the last scene is even more cream on top.
For what the movie was going for, it is well done and the acting is right to the point. Ali Hardiman is perfect as the clown and Lacy Chabert tries to walk the tightrope of sanity. With a very late start bringing the two together closely, Chabert and Stuart Townsend managed some chemistry.
There's some nice Irish scenery, snow covered in this case.
Brush up on your British title hierarchy for we get to see several levels. -
eddiebrown-774382 December 2021I thought this was a great movie. Lacey Charbet is one of my favorites and I watch her every Christmas. The Hallmark Movies are very predictable but they brighten the Christmas holidays.
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lsudonmco29 November 2021For the last few years Lacey Chabert has done Hallmark Movies that were filled on location. It seems like she is using it as a paid vacation. She seemed to be phoning this one in. She didn't have a lot of chemistry with her co-star, and the sister character was annoying. She also didn't look anything like Lacey.
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stephaniervt-200-7823813 December 2021The majority of this movie was annoying because of the goofiness of the sister (and a little with the leading lady) and because of the ongoing lies and deception. I would rewatch the final 1/4-1/3 again, but not the rest of it again. I love the Irish theme, the scenery, and the family history component (although it turned out to be pretty small).
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weniwuna20 December 2021I have to say that I don't understand why everyone had so much difficulty with the sister when I read the reviews! I thought she was absolutely charming and actually looked her up on IMDb to see what else I could see her in. Unfortunately, she hasn't done anything that I can watch in this country. But I thought she was quirky and adorable and not just the typical Hallmark dull side kick. Usually, a secondary character simply highlights the lead and doesn't have much going on. I really did think that she was the best part of this and made me want to keep watching. I thought it was a storyline that kept you watching because I really wanted to see how they were going to pull the whole thing off! No spoilers here, but I truly felt uplifted at the end. I just wish every Hallmark movie didn't end with a kiss and then abruptly have the credits roll. Every. Single. Movie. Why can't they show a little bit more of what happens between the characters?
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Saving2128 November 2021In the last few years in the Christmas season, hallmark is shooting movies outside of USA. They did one in Austria and one in Italy. Both of them used the magic of these places in their stories. It was classic hallmark stories with changes to fit the location and they were great.this time it didn't work, the story even tho was classic story wasn't written well to make me want to root for the main couple. These women are over 30 years old and they acted like teenagers, jumping on bed?? They weren't from Ireland so how can these girls know people to plan this important party? But maybe the reason why I wasn't enjoying the movie was because there wasn't a real chemistry between the actors, not the main couple and not the sisters. I love lacey chabert movies but this one isn't her best.
There was no feel of Ireland in the movie little dance pub and accents isn't all that. -
Kenkeller-98-62055329 November 2021Don't beat me up on this. The story wasn't interesting. The script was terrible. The CGI scenes were evident. The actors slept walked through the filming. I actually fell asleep watching this.
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jakethesnake-4200718 December 2021Ugh hallmark Thai has been done before but this time it's not set in America. I give props to the actors doing there best for they they have. It's slow and boring tho not much happens tho it's better then some.
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ricknot28 November 2021Sisters hit bottom in NYC and head out to Ireland to find lost family. Innocent mixups and a little fraud and voila, a Hallmark movie is born. The leads Lacey Chabert and Stuart Townsend are good but the real reason to watch is Ali Hardiman as the sister and Kate O'Toole as the Duchess steal the show. Overall a nice getaway.
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cgvsluis19 December 2021Two New York sisters get fired as catering waitresses and end up frivolously spending their deceased father's rainy day fund to visit Ireland to maybe find their long lost relatives...the O'Rileys.
While in Ireland the local Earl and his castle are in trouble and in desperate need of a caterer...the one sister lies saying they are their world famous old boss and are hired instantly! Then they must put on a fabulous Christmas party in two weeks! This requires every trick they can come up with...meanwhile the local Earl is falling hard.
Two Irish proverbs: May the most you wish for this Christmas be the least you get Two people shorten the road
"She did it not to spite us, but to help us and if that doesn't speak of character?"-Siobhan. -
EPMD5712 December 2021I wish they would have made the sisters smarter and more honest, or just less of an embarrassment. The CGI effects were awful to the point of distraction. The storyline wasn't worth sticking around for.
A little more subtlety and a lot more charm would have made for a more watchable movie. Sadly, I couldn't make it to the end of this one. -
whyslop5428 November 2021I've been waiting to watch this movie because I love Stuart Townsend. They could have done so much more with this movie. Why go all the way to Ireland and do the same old Christmas movie? Girl meets boy, falls for him, he falls for her and she lies to him about who she really is and he doesn't want anything to do with her. Of course it ends happily ever after but we've seen this one before. I gave this 8 stars for Stuart Townsend and the beautiful shots of Ireland.
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Kirpianuscus15 November 2022The basic virtue of film remains the rediscover of Stuart Townsend and the charm of Kate O' Toole. In some measure, the castle, without ornaments, represents a good point.
But the big - big problem remains the presence in main roles of Ali Hardiman and Lacey Chabert. And the terrible unrealism of story, near a fake - fake end.
But, sure, it is only a Hallmark. The recipe of a castle and Americans, routs and European aristocracy is not new but in this case just not inspired used. Because wrong seems the basic word to define this film , the story, and the Irish landscapes are nice but not enough for compensate the holes and the errors.
In short, a film who you desire to like. But, real bad luck ! -
buckythewonderhorse3 February 2024I am surprised by the number of bad reviews here. This is one of my favourite Hallmark movies.
The things about Hallmark movies (and romantic movies in general) is that apart from the obvious "man and woman fall in love" plot, they need a subplot to drive the story alojng. Too many Hallmark movies have a really lame subplot like "organising a Christmas play" or "renovate an old hotel". There's no suspense, so no interest, at least not from me.
But Christmas at Castle Hart has a couple of interesting subplots. The main one is that the main character has to pretend she is a major events planner. This leads to a lot of awkward and funny situations. We know she will get found out eventually, but we don't know how. That adds tension and interest. Yes it's unrealistic, but who cares, it's a movie.
Then there are a few other subplots: will they find any relatives of their father? Will the brother and sister who own the castle resolve their differences? We know what the final answer will be, but the way it all pans out makes for a very happy ending. And isn't that what we want when we watch a Hallmark movie?
And as for the bad CGI effects (like horse riding through the snow and leaving no footprints) - ah well, it just adds to the dorky charm. -
theoctobercountry5 December 2021In the past Lacey Chabert has starred in a number of excellent Christmas films which I've enjoyed very much, so I had high hopes for this year's offering. But I'm sorry to say that "Christmas at Castle Hart," wasn't one of her best.
So why the lukewarm reaction? Well, where to start...
1. The two lead actresses simply do NOT look like sisters in the least. They could have easily played best-friends-since-childhood, but sisters? Nope, don't believe it for a minute---they're just too physically dissimilar.
2. The film was shot during the summer, and it shows. Ireland in winter does NOT look like this---there are no leaves on the trees in Ireland in the winter! And this was a real problem, because there were a LOT of landscape shots. A computer-graphic white haze was added to the landscapes, so as to suggest snow or frost on the leaves, I guess? And poorly-rendered holiday lights and decorations were also superimposed on the castle itself. But this didn't work; completely unconvincing and distracting.
3. No real romantic chemistry between Lacey and her leading man.
4. The plot itself was ridiculous---the deception would never have held up under scrutiny in the real world. A two-minute google search would instantly have revealed that they were charlatans.
So, yeah, this was disappointing because Lacey has starred in some first-rate Christmas films in the past, and I had higher expectations. But hey, maybe her next Christmas film will be better, eh? At least this one was still better than her worst Christmas film---"The Tree That Saved Christmas." Holy cow, that one was a dud. Ha! -
scainiprod28 November 2021One of this years best offerings by Hallmark. Not just a Christmas romance but a touching and at times very funny look at sibling relationships. Lacey Chabert & Stuart Townsend are very good together and sister relationship between Lacey Chabert & Ali Hardiman is well crafted and believable. All set against the magical splendor of Ireland. A very sweet and entertaining Christmas film.
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P3n-E-W1s321 November 2022Greetings, salutations, and a seasonal welcome to my consideration and recommendation of Christmas At Castle Hart.
Story: 1.00/2 - Direction and Pace: 2.75/4 - Performances: 1.25/2 - Enjoyment: 1.25/2
Total 6.25/10
Christmas At Castle Hart was a joy to watch. Its superbly structured story of accidental deceptiveness is witty, heart-warming, and, at times, titillating. One of my favourite scenes is when the two sisters, Brooke and Margot, are caught bouncing on the bed in their castle bedroom. It brings back memories of childhood freedom and the longing of being able to cut loose and trampoline on a double bed. What was great about the scene was the insane bounciness of the mattress and the superb facial expressions of the actresses. Both Chabert and Hardiman portray the pair's innocent joyfulness and chance embarrassment. Watching these two giggling women behaving like kids, trying to have an adult conversation while continually bobbing up and down, was delightful. One thing that amazed me was the casting of Stuart Townsend as the lead heartthrob, Aiden Hart. Townsend isn't your typical heartthrob; he's very much your average Joe Bloggs. Strangely, this works better for the story as it adds an air of reality to the fanciful, which draws the viewer in - once acclimatised to the regular guy approach. Another bonus for the viewer is the sumptuousness of the castle. When you combine the ideas of decorations and castle, you think stylish and grand. It is, and the director captures its splendor splendidly.
Should you not get to view many Christmas Pictures this year, I'd joyfully recommend Christmas At Castle Hart for your watchlists. It's not the best Christmas movie, but it's a darn good way to waste an hour and a half on a cold winter evening while in the arms of your loved one, under a warm duvet, and sipping hot chocolate.
Please feel free to check out my HO! HO! HO! Christmas Belles list to see where I ranked the movie.
Take Care, Stay Well, And Merry Christmas. -
robby7777728 November 2021This movie not only worked on every level, it is heartbreaking since Lacey's sister in real life passed away a few days before this came out. She said how much this movie reminded her of her sister. Another brilliant performance from Lacey. Watch it, you will love it! My only complaint is the one who played her sister didn't work for me. A little too silly.