Starring Brittany Bristow and Will Kemp
***SPOILER ALERT***
A billionaire, Henry (Kemp), is president of a Viennese property development firm, but his interests lie more with philanthropy than business. At a children’s hospital fundraiser he’s donated substantially to, he’s charmed by Charlotte (Bristow), a chocolatier whose innovative, scrumptious flavors have earned her an excellent reputation. They begin dating. Henry is dismayed to learn that his company is taking over the building in which Charlotte’s shop is located. The effort is spearheaded by his CEO, Morgana (Suzanne McKenney), and Charlotte resists, seeking a historical designation to protect the building and her business. When she discovers that Henry owns the company trying to force her out, she accuses him of working against her. But Henry hatches a plan to save the chocolate shop, and in turn their romance.
PROS
The movie was directed by Leif Bristow and written by Agnes Bristow, parents of Brittany. I was looking forward to seeing it primarily because of Will Kemp, the impossibly charismatic star of Paging Mr. Darcy (2024).
Bristow and Kemp as Charlotte and Henry (mostly). Bristow and Kemp played likeable characters and had a nice rapport. Kemp portrayed Henry as suave and gentlemanly. You couldn’t help but like the man; he cared about others and tried to help Charlotte from behind the scenes after learning of her dire situation. His one mistake was delaying telling her of his company’s involvement. As for Bristow, she was sweet in this role as an accomplished, intelligent, brave woman determined to fight the big bad corporation.
There were some cute scenes between them, including their initial meeting in which he sampled her chocolates at the charity event. In the early part of the film, Charlotte and Henry always looked delighted to spend time together, and I liked watching them get to know one another. The skating scene was adorable, with Henry wobbling all over the place and Charlotte coaching him to “channel his inner penguin.” The waltz that finished the movie was lovely—though I really wished it had lasted longer.
Though the couple was enjoyable to watch, for much of My Sweet Austrian Holiday, Charlotte and Henry came across more like best friends than romantic partners. In other words, their chemistry wasn’t off the charts. Unfortunately for Kemp fans, the actor played a more restrained character than he usually does, and in doing so held back some of his natural wit and charm. And the crisis, in which Charlotte confronted Henry about keeping the truth from her, lacked intensity.
European scenery. The film was set in Austria, though most of it was filmed in Budapest and Ontario. Still, the historical architecture and interiors were impressive, and the Old World setting felt both grand and festive.
CONS
I was somewhat disappointed by this movie, which didn’t showcase Kemp’s or his co-star’s abundant talents as much as it could have.
The same old story. The ruin of a small business by a soulless corporation, in which the leads find themselves on opposing sides, isn’t a new storyline, and I can’t blame anyone for being weary of it. Sometimes something fresh is brought to this worn-out plot, elevating a movie beyond the ordinary, but that didn’t happen here.
Too much backstory? This movie felt a bit bogged down by character backstory, making the dinner date scene stagnant. Charlotte and Henry spent an entire dinner discussing their pasts. She’d been an environmental lawyer before she left the US to take the reins of her deceased oma’s chocolate business, and he’d inherited his company from his father and badly wanted to please him. Past relationships came up as well. I’d hoped for a flirtier first date.
Stereotypically severe characters. Morgana, Henry’s CEO, was a cold, ruthless woman who didn’t care if she destroyed Charlotte’s business and home (the chocolatier lived above the shop). Everything was strictly business to Morgana, which appalled Henry, and she showed up at Charlotte’s workplace to try to muscle her into stepping aside. Similarly, Henry’s father, Gordon (Drew Taylor), was harsh and rigid. Gordon seemed to expect Henry to mess up, and like Morgana, he wouldn’t allow for an alternative to evicting Charlotte. Fortunately, Henry gained his father’s respect when he stood his ground. Both Morgana and Gordon were one-dimensional.
The historical designation issue. All through the movie, Charlotte worked hard to prove that her company had been founded prior to 1924. Finally, she approached Paulina (Patricia Phillips), her grandmother’s best friend and colleague. I wasn’t sure what took Charlotte so long to think of doing this. Paulina had a photo showing Charlotte’s grandparents outside the shop, its sign indicating it had been established in 1921. This proof should have been what turned things around for Charlotte, enabling her to stay where she was, with no alteration of the architecture. However, Henry swooped in to save the day; he’d consulted an architect and then convinced Charlotte to let them build around her shop. Although this was a worthy solution, it robbed Charlotte of her own victory, and the need for the designation, which had been so important, fizzled out.
My grade for My Sweet Austrian Holiday: C (pleasant enough but average)
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
