Christmas-Reviewer
BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE FILM. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM HONEST! Here is a cute little film I watched last night. the film is called "Switchmas" . It is a throwback to old Disney Movies of the 1960's and 1970's. There is a few things in this film that makes be cringe. What I like most about this film was how they showed "Christmas" through the eyes of a child. This film is very family safe. Sullen teens won't like this. I think if you are a parent to a young child it will be a wonderful viewing experience. "Switchmas" is an American musical comedy film directed by Sue Corcoran. It tells the story of a Christmas obsessed Jewish boy on his way to sunny Florida who figures out how to get the Christmas of his dreams by trading airline tickets and places with another boy on his way to snowy Christmas-Town, WA. This film also features CGI scenes based on Ira's Christmas dreams.
vchimpanzee
Max is a Hollywood director and his wife Rosie is a party planner. The weather is not what most people associate with Christmas, and furthermore, the family is Jewish and they do not celebrate the holiday. The parents get mad when Ira puts up a tree and decorates it. And to make matters worse, Max gets a chance to direct a Christmas movie starring the beautiful, shallow, demanding and bubbleheaded Jennifer Cameo. Never mind that even if the movie is finished in time for Christmas, how will it be released? Movies take months and even years to make (yes, but when you see the garbage we are dealing with ...). Ira must go to visit his grandparents Sam and Ruth in Florida, who have not seen him in years.Ira must change planes in Chicago. Meanwhile, Mikey is miserable. His parents are divorced and his mom Julie is always working. Mikey is being sent to visit cousins in Christmastown, USA in Washington state, who he has not seen in years. He is miserable because he is tired of snow and wishes he could go somewhere warm.What are the chances? The boys meet at the airport and they kind of look alike. They trade information so they will each be able to convince the other's relatives that he is who he says he is.So Ira goes to Washington and is excited to see real snow. The relatives are happy to see him.Mikey meets the very Jewish grandparents, who live in a retirement village. Everyone is so excited to see Mikey, and Mikey is having a good time, even if a couple of people are suspicious and don't think he looks like Ira. Signs of Hanukkah are everywhere and the music is great, if not what most of us might associate with December.Mostly, the movie is about Ira's adventures in Washington. Libby is sweet but her husband Walt tends to argue a lot. He's out of work, though, and the family is going through hard times. Teenage daughter Jessica is a rebel who wears too much makeup and has some blue in her otherwise red hair (it is the actual color referred to as red hair), and she sings and plays the guitar with her friend on the street for money. Clare is the adorable middle child, and Kyle is the youngest, obsessed with martial arts.Ira has a good time, for the most part. He gets to see a parade and Santa Claus, and he goes shopping. Clare even shows him her secret place, and old Vaudeville theater that people have forgotten about. She wants to write a Christmas play and a song and use the theater and local kids to perform it. But unlike her bratty sister, she's too shy to perform in public.Then there is trouble. Jack the jerk is a bully who travels with minions and his dog Killer. Ira is very afraid of dogs, as we saw earlier with Jennifer. Soon, he is miserable and wishing he could be back home with his real family. Oh, yes, Jennifer. Was it really worth it? This sci-fi garbage Max is working on could be one of the worst Christmas movies ever, or perhaps so bad it's good. And Jennifer is very difficult to work with. Maybe a call from Ira would be the best thing right about now.But Clare and Ira get to work on their play, calling in kids to audition. Even Killer gets a part as Mistletoe. And the play includes everyone. It's not just about Christmas. It celebrates Jewish culture as well. Ira has learned from Santa, whose real name is Murray Lefkowitz, that Jews played important roles in the music and movies of Christmas.The secret does get out, as you might expect. I just won't say how. And the results are hilarious, but there are many Christmas miracles.So will everything go as planned? Will Clare succeed in making the holiday special? Will both boys learn a lesson? This is a wonderful if silly effort. It is a holiday movie that gives plenty of attention to Jewish culture. And it is inclusive without watering down any of the messages of the season, something not found in politically correct celebrations. While the secular Christmas traditions are acknowledged, the play celebrates Jesus as the real reason for the season and includes the Jews as well. Shaye Hodgins is great as the child who won't lose her faith and won't give up. And her song is sufficiently corny but something many people will like.Elijah Nelson and Justin Howell are pretty good as the kids who deceive everyone.Elliott Gould is the cool grandpa.Even Julianne Christie makes an impact as a truly unpleasant, spoiled brat of a Hollywood actress. I don't really mean she's that good, but look at the type of movie this is. I don't know who the other actors in her movie are, but they're pretty good too. While this is family friendly and it got a TV-G rating when I watched it, I should point out that it does have a few curse words. One used twice refers to geezers in this case and not to their digestive problems. And there's a disturbing scene where a child and a dog are mistreated, but nothing kids shouldn't see.I only wish the music had been better. The big band music in Florida was great, and most of the background music was good, but many of the Christmas songs did not sound good; either they weren't the traditional versions or they weren't familiar.Overall, it is a worthy effort.
campmartin5
Ira Finkelstein is a great family film. It reaches across all ages and generations. We loved it and would recommend it to any viewing audience. Thank you for your sensitivity to making a film that tells a story without offending any audience. It is a happy story line that lets you see into how different families celebrate the holidays. We give it a 10 for its excellence in story, directing, vision, filming, and casting. I appreciate using a local town in the state of Washington. This allowed money to be spent wisely of the investors that have backed this film. In a day of irresponsible spending, it was a really wise move on their part. They were able to get a lot more film for their money. The positive message of family was well done in this film without being sickening sweet beyond what anyone else could relate to. It seemed like the type of film that be could be a part of a series of good stories that are packaged together. Thank you again for a great piece of work!
Donald Stewart
A strong cast and delightful plot line drive this family Christmas story with a Hanukkah twist (or is it a Hanukkah story with a Christmas twist?).The young leads--Ira and Mikey, played by Elijah Nelson and Justin Howell--charmed their way through their scenes, and their interaction with the adults--especially Mikey and his grandfather, played by Elliott Gould, showed wonderful chemistry.But the show stealer was Jennifer Cameo--a washed up (dare I say 'touched'?) middle-aged actress played by Julianne Christie. From the opening scene, the film's comedic element was driven by her, setting a lighthearted and slightly off subplot to the movie.This was a movie for the whole family, and a delightful holiday treat.
