My Sweet Austrian Holiday
The [Chocolate] Shop Around the Corner
There are always a few Hallmark movies every year that borrow from existing IP. With some, it’s subtle, with others, it’s readily evident. In this case we fall firmly into the latter, with a movie that borrows heavily from The Shop Around the Corner and it’s better-known/newer interpretation, You’ve Got Mail.
Charlotte is a lawyer turned chocolatier who has inherited her family’s Viennese chocolate store. Henry is the property development scion whose company is trying to kick her out. Now, unlike in those other movies, in our case Charlotte gets to keep her business. After all, this is Hallmark.
Filmed in both Canada and Budapest (standing in for Vienna), this had a lot of what I’d expect to see from one of the annual “filmed in Europe” entries to the Countdown to Christmas, including European Christmas markets, treats, and even some ice skating, but overall I wasn’t particularly swayed by this one.
I much preferred Will Kemp (Henry) in Jolly Good Christmas in 2022.
