Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Josephina
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
Cristal
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
eapepin-01129
Okay, where do I start. First of all it's a pleasant enough movie with the usual feel-good Hallmark ending, but there are some items that just poke at the continuity director instinct in me that make me fidget.Fergus, the king's assistant shows up at her apartment (how?), has had her investigated (how?), and nobody seems to notice or care. The next day she's in Europe, driving up a snow-covered road with Fergus, who asks, "Would it be fair to say you've never traveled abroad?" Her response? "Does Staten Island count?"... So, how exactly is she flying out of the country, the very next day without a passport? She obviously doesn't have one, and I'm guessing from her back story, never had a reason to have one. Just one of those minor details that should not have been overlooked. Fergus would have asked her if she had one, and there would be some plausible reason given as to why she did.... or, if not, he would have suggested his embassy (or consulate) would make a special request to speed up the process. Instead, it is not mentioned at all, leaving detail-oriented viewers like me shaking their heads. Speaking of continuity, what exactly are they doing in the greenhouse? Why are they putting worm-filled dirt in glass jars? I'm guessing that's just a vehicle to create a scene showing them getting to know each other, but it seems like an odd activity. Her character transition keeps shifting from the overwhelmed, out-of-her-league bewilderment to the aggressive super-confident women who stands up to the king yet cowers from the head of the household staff. Too many little things get in the way of the flow, that keep bringing up more questions than they answer.... Like where did she get the frames for the pictures she drew at the end? And the boxes she wrapped them in? She never left the castle. Anybody think about that? Where did she find the time to do them? You don't crank those out in a few minutes and it looks like she drew a dozen of them.The one bright light in the movie was the girl who played Theodora. She is an absolute delight, and hopefully, she will have a long and successful career. Hallmark is very good at casting thoroughly unlikable characters, like the fiancé and the king's councilor, and they played the role very well.Overall, it was and enjoyable diversion. The Hallmark Movie Channel Christmas spirit machine at work.
Jack Vasen
The real heartwarming part of this story is between the governess, Allie, and the pre-teen princess, Theodora. As we all expect, the governess wins the heart of the unruly princess. That doesn't make any less well done or sweet.Rupert Penry-Jones plays a stiff widower king with not much room to be real, so it is not surprising that he comes off as a little too stiff to really like. Danica McKellar gives her usual solid performance in this case as the lovable governess, even if she does the deer-in-the-headlights look a few times too many. But I think Ellie Botterill is probably the star of this show. I find myself not so much wanting to see Allie and Max get together as for Theodora to be happy getting Allie as a new step-mom.Some Hallmark movies don't have villains quite as mean as in this movie. And here we have three.I loved the background song playing over the final scene.
phd_travel
This is one of the better Hallmark holiday season movies.The cast is quite good. Danica McKellar plays a hotel maid. It's good she isn't too glamorously beautiful so she can be believable. After being fired she is hired as a governess for some minor European royal family. She wins over the bratty princess she has to govern and the King's heart as well. The supporting cast is quite good especially the British cast. Rupert Penry Jones who as in a good TV movie "39 Steps" is quite convincing as minor royalty. Doesn't look too fake royalty like some other similar Hallmark movies. The actress who plays the countess he is matched to is quite pretty and good too at acting jealous.The Cinderella / Sound of Music combination story works quite well and the dance is quite romantic. The way things work out at the end romantically is quite logical without being too annoying.Less annoying than the usual Hallmark Christmas movie. One they can replay next year.
fathchuck
OK the young, widowed man tries to raise his rebellious daughter. He is distant and clueless about how to raise her and hires a Nanny. Actually several nannies, each dispatched in short time by the little terror of a daughter. Oh yes, there's the scheming second wife/Queen wannabe who tries to scare off the nanny. Although it was entertaining, the idea has been done before in books (Jane Eyre anyone?), Broadway (Sound of Music) TV specials every year it seems, and movies (again, Sound of Music). It was obvious and it was predictable. The actors did their best with the scripts and it had its moments. As I said it was entertaining, but only as a variation on a theme.
