Margrethe and Suzanne watched The Holiday Calendar on Netflix! We both liked it and had a chat about why, in case that's a thing you're interested in.
We also get really distracted by Ethan Peck's sexy voice and real world advent calendars. In fact, the whole thing reads more like a chat between friends. Because that's what it is. There are spoilers!
Christmas romance movies are hard to review because if you go into them expecting perfection, you're going to be let down. Therefore, we should just enjoy the ride, right?
But first, the movie poster. *happy sigh*
Suzanne
So, what did you think of The Holiday Calendar?
I really liked it! Quincy isn't the best actor, but I have fond feelings for him from the show STAR, in which he plays a Black Lives Matter activist (and boyfriend of one of the leads). And I love Kat Graham. I've always thought she deserved better than what they gave her to do on The Vampire Diaries.
Ethan Peck wasn't supposed to be the good guy, but damn is that man sexy. His voice alone. *swoon*
I did want less of a last-minute resolution, but I guess all of these movies end with a kiss, don't they?
Margrethe
I really liked it. I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but it was cute. And I love Kat Graham. I have strong feelings about how Bonnie was treated on TVD.
And I have zero exposure to the two men except that Ethan Peck is playing Spock apparently. But his voice! That voice could ruin me.
Suzanne
He should narrate audiobooks.
Margrethe
I realize that I need to ask my mom about the actual advent calendar. I’ll be right back.
Suzanne
Yeah, so the advent calendar is magical but your mom will be able to let you know if it's legit?
We had a wooden advent calendar that had ornaments in it. You'd take one out each day and hang it. I loved it and haven't been able to find a replacement since.
Margrethe
Yes, that’s exactly what I was checking: If advent calendars used to be magical.
No, so I’m always curious about things when people say “like Europeans used to have before everything was made so cheaply.” And I will check with my mom for her memories of growing up in Denmark.
So my grandfather was a carpenter and now I’m amazed he didn’t make something like this. But post-war Denmark is a vastly different landscape. Anyway, the movie.
Suzanne
My great-grandfather made wooden ornaments and santas and all sorts of stuff that my great-grandmother would then paint. I wonder if maybe because we had such large families and who are you going to pass this down to? Easier to make small things and give one to each kid?
Sorry, movie. I was upset that he got her fired, even though I know it wasn't his fault. She was right to be pissed.
Margrethe
Ugh! That whole thing! If he’s such a fancy photographer, how did he delete all those photos?
It’s also weird that we don’t really see any of his work, right?
Suzanne
It is! And the thing at the end where he just makes this giant decision FOR her? I would've been angry. Like no, you shitbag, I do not want to share my studio with you.
But he made all this money BLOGGING *dies laughing*
That's what I'm gonna do with all the money I make on Love in Panels - I'm gonna rent a whole main street shop for my girlfriend. [If you wanna support this goal, we have a Ko-Fi.]
Margrethe
See, while at the moment, I was thinking it was sweet of him to get the space for her, but now I’m reminded of the holiday car commercials that make me rage.
I’m also worried about the financials of owning a photography studio in a smallish town/city.
Suzanne
I'm never worried about money. All of these movies pretend money doesn't exist. I mean, her APARTMENT.
Margrethe
Here’s an idea for romancelandia and Christmas movie writers, she’s a photographer with a struggling studio and starts doing romance cover shoots, and she and one of the models fall in love.
I am bad at tangents. Back to the movie.
I feel weird complaining about the movie spending so much time with Peck’s character, but it gave us so little time with our actual hero. And zero time for our heroine to realize that she was in love with the hero.
Suzanne
I thought we got a lot of time with our actual hero, but not with him as a romantic interest. He felt more like a part of the family than like a potential boyfriend. Then again, friends-to-lovers is always a hard sell for me.
Margrethe
And I love friends to lovers, but all I saw was a dude pining and a woman being oblivious about her friend. It was all friendly, not romantic between them.
Margrethe
I loved Kat Graham and would watch her in a million of these movies.
Suzanne
Yes, agreed.
This is a crappy review because we both liked the movie and think people should watch it.
It's so much better than a lot of the Hallmark movies I've watched, plus you can watch it whenever you want.
One last thing - I'd like a few of these with Ethan Peck as the romantic lead, okay Netflix?
***
Have you watched The Holiday Calendar yet? Come talk to us about it!
