A Princess for Christmas

Jules works in an antique shop in Buffalo and becomes legal guardian of her niece Maddie and nephew Milo after losing her sister and brother-in-law. All three are struggling. Then an invitation arrives from Europe: the grandfather the children have never met wants them at his castle for Christmas. Jules accepts, and there she meets the old man's son, the prince. The film keeps every rule of its genre: the cold grandfather, the unprepared American woman, the ball, the snow. What works is the part about the children's grief; the story at least remembers it is built on a loss. Michael Damian directed. Roger Moore plays the grandfather and Katie McGrath plays Jules. Sam Heughan, the prince, would become known a few years later for Outlander. It was shot in Romania, using Peles Castle for the castle scenes, which is why a production with a modest budget looks as grand as it does. It aired on the Hallmark Channel on 3 December 2011. Who it is for: anyone who likes the Christmas movie tradition and predictable romantic comedy. Who it is not for: anyone wanting surprise. The plot is settled in the first ten minutes, the dialogue is flat, and the prince is barely written at all.