Christmas Angel (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
While it does waste its lead’s personal story, it compensates with a cute romantic relationship as its centerpiece.
[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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General Information
| Director(s) | Laz Rael Lison |
| Screenplay By | Laz Rael Lison |
| Based On | N/A |
| Date Released (BET Plus) | November 9th, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Drama, Romance, Holiday |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 33 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-14 |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Angel St. James | Danileigh |
| E.J. Stevenson | Romeo Miller |
| Calvin | Skyh Black |
| Liz | Iris Gasper |
Content Rating Explanation
“Christmas Angel” contains:
- Dialog: Nothing notable
- Violence: Nothing notable
- Sexual Content: Nothing notable
- Miscellaneous: Drinking to excess
Film Summary
Angel St. James grew up in the foster system but is now a mega star in the music industry. However, never finding her forever home as a child and running away at 17 makes each relationship to her a bit intense, and she is looking for reciprocation. For a long time, EJ was the person who was supposed to make her feel whole, and she even got as far as becoming engaged to him.
But with his focus far more on the look and the benefits of them being seen as a power couple vs. being her actual partner, she is rightfully frustrated. Enter Calvin, a man Angel meets after she decides she needs to be on a break from EJ, who sweeps her off her feet and comes with an adorable daughter named Liz.
Yet, in time, there comes a question of whether Calvin will just be part of Angel’s vacation from EJ and the spotlight or if he might be part of her next chapter in life.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.
Angel St. James
Raised in group homes until she ran away at 17 and was discovered, Angel hasn’t had any sense of family outside of one foster sister for most of her life. While this has made her a notable rags-to-riches story, it has also been a lonely life. One that only got lonelier when her foster sister died and add in the challenge of trying to find and connect with her birth mother, and it makes it so Angel really has no one besides her manager, her fiancé, and her fans.
EJ
The producer whose work with Angel has taken her career to the next level, EJ is all about his hustle, often at the sacrifice of his relationship.
- The actor is also known for their role in “A Miracle Before Christmas,” their role in “A Girl Like Grace,” and their role in “Never Heard.”
Calvin
Calvin is a paralegal who often volunteers for different jobs around town, like towing cars, but his main focus is raising his daughter, especially after his wife died.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Lace.”
Liz
Liz is Calvin’s daughter, who loves to dance and is one of Angel’s fans.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Highlights
Calvin and Angel
Calvin and Angel make a cute couple. Yes, their relationship took place during a bit of an awkward transition from her being with EJ to Calvin, but like with most holiday movies, there is this gray area where you can either see the relationship as over for one side and on pause for the other, or already on its death bed, waiting for a doctor to pronounce it is over. From what it seems, Angel was done, and with that, Calvin’s entry was cute.
Why? Because he was allowed a level of being imperfect. He wasn’t trying hard to woo Angel. She was coming onto him and being the aggressor. Also, he got a little messy when drinking. Not so messy that there was a push to call him an alcoholic, but messy enough for him to not be the suave, infallible guy. He was human, and considering all Angel went through, you can tell she needed and wanted someone who wasn’t perfect. She needed a man like him who was about building family and community over wealth.
Which isn’t to say Calvin wasn’t about his money, he did have multiple properties and a paralegal career as a day job. But, he understood, likely because he was older, the hustle and grind means nothing if you just grinding to up what you financially need to survive.
Liz Is Adorable
There is almost always an adorable kid when it comes to holiday movies, and Liz’s actress, Iris Gasper, is the type who hopefully ends up in the paramount system and can guest star across Paramount’s networks until she lands her own show or movie.
I would submit, she did more than be proof Calvin was with someone before Angel and wasn’t just someone to drive the sadness of Calvin losing someone. She allowed us to see Angel through eyes that didn’t see her as a romantic partner but as a person. One who wanted to have a family and give someone the things she wasn’t given throughout her childhood. While, through accountability, learning why some of the foster parents she was with weren’t able to cut it as a parent.
On The Fence
Wishing We Got More Of Angel As A Individual
In more than enough holiday movies, we’ve seen the lead go from one relationship to another. However, not enough have it where it is just about them and their growth and healing. So when it comes to Angel’s storyline, considering the amount of flashback, the introduction of her foster sister, and the subplot of her searching for her mother, don’t get me wrong, I love what comes of her, Calvin, and Liz. However, I would have been perfectly fine with her working out her survivor’s guilt, challenging her mother, and getting to know her blood relations, and we could have even kept Liz as her mother’s second child and someone Angel had mixed feelings about because she got the mother Angel didn’t get to have.
Who Is This For?
Those who like holiday romance movies, where the transition was overdue because the ex didn’t know what they had and didn’t appreciate the one who left.
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