Tonight's Movie: A Hollywood Christmas (2022)

A HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS (2022) is a giddy, amusing Christmas comedy available for streaming on HBO Max.

Ironically I have let my subscription to HBO Max go, as I wasn't watching it very often, but I managed to check out this movie on the last day before dropping the service.

I watched the film thanks to the recommendation of my friend Rachel, whose comment that the movie was set on the Warner Bros. lot particularly caught my eye.

I've visited the lot numerous times over the years, most recently in 2018, and anyone familiar with it -- even from classic films and TV's GILMORE GIRLS -- will get a kick out of the very recognizable settings, which are onscreen for much of the film's running time.

I really liked Jessika Van who plays Jessica, a young Hollywood director who's made her name in the Christmas movie genre.

It's "Christmas in July" as Jessica and her lead actors Chloe (Riley Dandy) and Jeb (Zak Steiner) film on a warm summer day. Jessica is startled when network exec Christopher (Josh Swickard) shows up with the news that new studio management is shutting down the Christmas movies division. Jessica will be able to finish the current film -- though there are complications -- but after that her professional future is up in the air.

Jessica's assistant Reena (Anissa Borrego) isn't particularly worried, however; she see's Jessica's conflict with Christopher in classic Christmas movie plot terms and is confident that all will be well if they simply let the real-life "plot" unfold and work itself out.

It's a goofy film, and somewhat edgier than a Hallmark Christmas movie, but there are some very entertaining moments woven into the script by John Ducey. The film struck me as right on target in some of its very precise "Hollywood" dialogue, and I enjoyed the way the movie walked a line simultaneously lampooning and paying tribute to Christmas rom coms. The film may make fun of the genre's conventions, but Jessica also speaks movingly about why she finds them so important.

Van and Borrego are both quite fun in their roles, and I also especially liked Tom Williamson as Jessica's very patient assistant director. Emelia Hartford stood out in a small but engaging performance as a crew member.

For anyone who has HBO Max, this is an amusing 91 minutes which is worth a look.

The movie was directed by Alex Ranarivelo and filmed by Reuben Steinberg.

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