Release Date: Dec. 3, 2021, 8/7c
Movie: Eight Gifts of Hanukkah
Network: Hallmark
Starring: Inbar Lavi, Jake Epstein
Synopsis: An anonymous suitor sends optometrist Sara a gift for each night of Hanukkah. On her journey to find her secret admirer, she learns her one true love might be someone she never expected.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐3/4
⚠🛑 Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers
Review:
This movie surprised me. Surprised me in a good way. Honestly the synopsis screamed boring to me however it was not boring at all. It was fun, easy to watch and entertaining. Yes I knew who the secret gifts were from right from the beginning, but that didn't spoil this movie at all.
Sara (Inbar Levi) is an optometrist who recently comes into contact with multiple suitors. She starts receiving these thoughtful notes and gifts for each night of Hanukkah and spends her time getting to know these suitors in an attempt to figure out who the lovebird is that really knows her. While dating these would be suitors, you also meet Daniel (Jack Epstein) who has been friends with Sara since birth. You quickly find out that he is the person leaving the gifts and that he has been in love with Sara for ever and wants to see how she feels about him through giving her these gifts. Over the course of half the movie she opens these wonderful gifts and then Jake hears her mention who she thinks is gifting these to her. He gets super bummed when he realizes that she doesn't even ponder the idea that it is him, confronts her and storms off. Sara realizes it's Jake she's loved her whole life and only just realizes it. She goes to the ball, circulates the room to break it off with the other guys, then confesses her love to Jake.
Epstein and Sara and wonderful in this movie. They have a very comfortable dynamic when onscreen together and I believed they had known each other for life. Epstein did a wonderful job. He looked like a little lost puppy dog when around her. Not to mention that Sara had brief moments when she looked like she was more than ok with something happening with Daniel. These characters had chemistry and I really loved how it didn't drag out to the end of the movie for him to tell her that he was the one sending these gifts.
Sara's 3 suitors were a nice twist to this movie. I didn't really expect that there would be other potential suitors. I honestly just thought it would be a mystery she tried to solve. Instead this movie added the element of going on dates and/or getting to know other men who were interested in her. I actually like that twist. Paul, the ex boyfriend I just found annoying and would have preferred he wasn't in the picture. But the other two??? Nigel the chef? I really liked them both.
I really only have one pet peeve and it still bugs me even though I watched this movie yesterday. I can't get over what she wore to the ball and how she did her hair! That dress was SO bad. It's a ball and yet she is wearing a blah cocktail dress. I mean there could have been something way more elegant that she could have worn. And how about dressing it up with some jewelry? And her hair? She did absolutely nothing to her hair. It was the same style she wore through the whole movie...yawn. I was so underwhelmed.
Anyway, no need to go on and on about this one. It was a solid movie. Worth the watch in my opinion.
Did you watch this movie? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.
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