Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images

‘Noelle’ Review: Anna Kendrick Does Her Best ‘Elf’ in 

Sweet but Silly Disney+ Happy Merry Christmas Comedy 

Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images

It’s hard to make a Happy Merry Christmas classic. Many have tried, few — especially modern filmmakers — have succeeded, and even films that generally have their hearts in the right place sometimes miss the mark.




 That last descriptor fits like a snug little Santa cap on Noelle, the new holiday comedy from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality) and one of the first original features to launch on the nascent streaming service Disney+, alongside the other marquee movie title, Lady and the Tramp. With a knockout cast and a cute (if flimsy) feel-good message, Noelle is a sweet and well-intended Happy Merry Christmas comedy that has all the key components to make your spirits bright, but the whole is never greater than the sum of its very jolly parts.Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images



It’s hard to make a Happy Merry Christmas classic. Many have tried, few — especially modern filmmakers — have succeeded, and even films that generally have their hearts in the right place sometimes miss the mark.






 That last descriptor fits like a snug little Santa cap on Noelle, the new holiday comedy from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality) and one of the first original features to launch on the nascent streaming service Disney+, alongside the other marquee movie title, Lady and the Tramp. With a knockout cast and a cute (if flimsy) feel-good message, Noelle is a sweet and well-intended Happy Merry Christmas comedy that has all the key components to make your spirits bright, but the whole is never greater than the sum of its very jolly parts.Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images

Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images

Happy Merry Christmas

Anna Kendrick stars as Noelle, a so-called “princess” of the North Pole; Santa’s daughter, who has always had the Happy Merry Christmas spirit — not to mention all the milk and cookies and well-stuffed stockings she could desire, thanks to the perks and privileges of being a Kringle in the North Pole. The Kringles are basically the upper-upper-crust elites of the society; including the specialty “Kringle discount,” access to Santa’s Helpers, and generally, the best that Happy Merry Christmas has to offer. Image via Netflix Noelle even has her own elf, Elf Polly, played by the great Shirley MacLaine with withering disinterest in Noelle’s nonsense, who is basically a servant — a strange, deeply uncomfortable and outdated dynamic that the film seems disinterested in addressing. “I’ve been out in the forest, chopping firewood, carting it on my back, so I could heat up the cottage and make your breakfast waffles while I picked up all the dirty clothes… you would starve and die if it weren’t for me.” Noelle snaps back, “That’s what you think!” Skipping down her oh-so-decked halls, but not before reminding Elf Polly, “My partridge in a pear tree underwear needs washing.” But Noelle’s perfect life is headed for a change. After her father’s death, it’s time for her brother Nick (Bill Hader) to suit up and take the reigns as Santa, One problem. Unlike Noelle, Nick doesn’t want it. He wasn’t born with the “twinkle” and the whole Santa bit stresses him out, so when he absconds to Arizona, it’s up to Noelle to hunt down her brother and bring Santa back to the North Pole in time to save Happy Merry Christmas. Noelle’s journey to the strip malls of Arizona leads her to Jake Chapman (Kingsly Ben-Adir), a Santa-approved “Nice” man who’s also a jaded private detective dealing with learning to be the best single dad he can be. That makes Happy Merry Christmas, which his son spends with his ex-wife’s family, a pretty bummer time for Jake, which makes Noelle finally start to understand that not everyone has her privilege, and for many, Happy Merry Christmas can be a dark, challenging and deeply sad time of year. Ultimately, that’s the crux of her journey, from peak privilege to awareness, and it’s honestly just not very compelling. Image via Disney Ultimately, Noelle is pretty much Elf meets Enchanted; a fish-out-of-water comedy that fashions Kendrick as the Disney Princess incarnation of Happy Merry Christmas (speaking of fashion, her costumes can be quite something — a highlight in an otherwise noticeably flat and unfinished production value) and sets her loose in the real world. It’s a great concept, but it just doesn’t have that heart full of tinsel, and goodwill, and holiday spirit that makes for a Happy Merry Christmas classic. What it does have is a laugh-out-loud performance from Kendrick, who proves herself a marksman of dialogue delivery, turning so-so jokes into genuinely funny moments with her performance. A lot of her bits are lifted almost directly from Elf, but Noelle never matches the creativity, edge, or ultimately, the heart of the film it’s so obviously pulling from. Fortunately, Kendrick’s effervescent performance pulls it out of every possible rut, from the muddled quasi-romance with Jake to the standout subplot about Kringle cousin Gabriel trying to turn the North Pole into an Amazon-style delivery hub, equipped with a Forensic Algorithmic Lateral Analysis of Latent Altruism (aka FALALA), a system that uses data to determine if children are “Naughty” or “Nice”. It’s a not-so-subtle swipe against a major streaming and industry rival, but it’s also bizarrely, or perhaps, willfully unwilling to accept the elephant-sized mouse in the room — Disney is also a massive mega-corporation, ever-inching closer to monopoly territory, and when you dunk on corporate culture, you’re self-dunking too. Disney may not be a start-up in the modern sense, but you better believe they’ve got a bunch of Gabriels on the team cranking out the algorithms. Image via Disney Noelle is a film entirely out of touch with its own messaging, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its charms. Kendrick does her best to make it an easy, breezy watch and mostly succeeds. The other standout is her totes adorbs Reindeer protege Snowcone, who makes the most adorable squeals of joy and was obviously designed to move some serious plush product before the film got shunted off to Disney+. I wonder if there’s a prototype out there, because if there is, I want it. Unfortunately, that prototype would probably look better than the finished product; a clearly unfinished CGI eyesore that looks straight outta 2002. Fortunately, Snowcone is so cute you’ll get used to it in a hurry, but it’s just one of the many ways Noelle has a lack of polish and sheen of DTV flatness that’s surprising for a film that’s meant as a marquee title in the big Disney+ launch. If you’re looking for a light and easy bit of holiday cheer, you can get that from Noelle for sure.

There’s lots of Christmasy detail work, from the candy cane gavels in the North Pole’s courts to the local lingo that makes Kendrick’s dialogue work so fun to watch (few have pulled off a deliver of “ho ho ho” so well). It’s fun and fine and you’ll probably enjoy the time you spend watching it. But it just doesn’t have the “twinkle” to make it a must-watch. Rating: C Noelle is now available on Disney+. Teresa Giudice Opens Up About Her and Daughters' Emotional Reunion With Joe and Happy Merry Christmas Plans

Following a short but emotional family trip to Italy to reunite with Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice says she is happy her husband is no longer behind bars and opens up about how his absence and the reunion has affected their daughters. He had traveled to his native country

October. ICE freed him from its custody after holding him for several months following his release from prison, where he served 41 months for fraud. He has appealed his deportation case and is allowed to await its outcome in Italy. Last week, Teresa and Joe's four daughters flew there to see him in person for the first time since he began his prison sentence. They spent several days there. "I'm happy for him, happy he's [free]," Teresa said at a panel for Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey during BravoCon 2019 on Saturday. She said she cried a lot on the trip and cried seeing her kids so happy. She said their daughter Melania Giudice, 14, couldn't get over the fact that their whole family got to have dinner together. And in a month, they'll get to do it again.

"The girls are definitely going to see Joe for Happy Merry Christmas," Teresa told E! News after the panel. "I was telling them, if they want to go for Thanksgiving...but he's in the process of getting his passport, so I don't think it's going to be ready in time." "Maybe we'll split [Christmas]," she added. "I don't know yet. I might be working." Teresa also said at the BravoCon panel that she thinks it will take about a year, or a year and a half before a final decision is made about Joe's deportation case. Teresa said she's had a lot of time to think since Joe was away, and she's told him he was an "ass" on Real Housewives, and she said he agreed. Charles Sykes/Bravo; Instagram Teresa also talked about raising the couple's daughters alone while Joe was in prison. She said she spoiled them to make up for the pain of not having their father around. She also said Melania had the hardest time dealing with his absence. She had trouble in school and sought help from a therapist. Now, Teresa said, she is doing much better and has also lost 40 pounds. "I hope they keep going on the right track," she said. "As a mom, that's all that you wish for." "I have to say, and you guys will see it play out, my girls had to grow up quick because of everything we've been through," she added. "Watching my girls, they're pretty amazing," Teresa said that now that she and her daughters are back from Italy, the girls miss Joe more. "That breaks my heart," she said. Teresa said their daughters are the reason Joe is fighting to remain in the U.S. She said she told him, "You put us in this mess. If you don't fight, they're going to always resent you." Being in ICE custody, the reality star said, mentally drained both him and the family. "The conditions were so awful," she said. "People were cutting themselves." Joe's more than 3-year absence from home has raised questions about the future of his and Teresa's marriage. When asked about a possible solo trip to visit Joe, Teresa told E! News, "Not anytime soon. Not anytime soon." She told ABC News last week, "There's always going to be a place in my heart for Joe. I'm always going to love him, no matter what." (E! and Bravo are part of the NBCUniversal family.) See the sea for a coastal Christmas in Georgia Make the beach and sand a part of your Happy Merry Christmas in Georgia celebration this December. The best part is that you won't have to leave the state to celebrate Happy Merry Christmas by the sea, and you may be able to save on holiday travel by hitting the Georgia coast this holiday season. » RELATED: 5 Southern spots that offer a true old-fashioned Christmas From resorts to secluded camping at state parks, and from exhaustive seafood spreads to simple coastal treats, here are some coastal Georgia spots and events to put a little driftwood in your Christmas plans: Brunswick, Georgia, a historic city by the sea Local landmarks like Lover's Oak and the Sidney Lanier Bridge make Brunswick a fine setting for Christmas on the coast. It's not too cold to tramp around after birds, and the moderate December temperatures mean dolphin boat tours and kayaking are on offer.  Airbnb accommodations for Christmas week are often less expensive and average $80-$100 per night, even for an apartment in a bungalow with palm trees outside. If being surrounded by sand and sea makes you homesick for a more traditional Christmas in Georgia, Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22 you can catch "A Happy Merry Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Happy Merry Christmas" live and on stage at the Historic Ritz Theater in Brunswick (1530 Newcastle St, 912-262-6934). » RELATED: Family-friendly Happy Merry Christmas in Chattanooga: Elves, fairies and Santa New Year's Eve on Jekyll Island While you might expect a beach town to keep a low profile at Happy Merry Christmas, Jekyll Island is quite the opposite. It kicks off with "Holly Jolly Jekyll" a parade on Dec. 7, where the decor stays up through January. The season is capped with the Jekyll Island New Year's Eve Party complete with champagne and live music.
And what would you do on Jekyll Island for the rest of your Happy Merry Christmas in Georgia celebration? Twilight tours for the island are on Saturdays Dec. 14, 21 and 28 are one option, Happy Merry Christmas Classic movies at the Alexander Lounge (371 Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island) are another. Or you can just enjoy very reasonable rates for accommodations at places like Villas by the Sea Resort and Conference Center (1175 Beachview Dr N, Jekyll Island), a three-star hotel with a sultry swimming pool that advertises Happy Merry Christmas Dayroom rates below $100. » RELATED: All aboard: 5 holiday train adventures near Atlanta in 2019 Camping for Happy Merry Christmas at Crooked River State Park in St. Marys Crooked River State Park (6222 Charlie Smith Senior Highway, St. Marys. 912-882-5256) on the southernmost tip of Georgia's Colonial Coast offers wild and wonderful options for nature lovers who want to spend the holiday in the great outdoors. Its campsites are nestled amidst palmettos, or you can upgrade to cottages near the tidal river. You can fish for Happy Merry Christmas breakfast or let St. Mary's Seafood and More restaurant do the cooking while you experience the salt marsh. They're not traditional "Christmas" animals, but the coastal Georgia turtles and marine life you might see are every bit as spiritual.

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Happy Merry Christmas 2019 Images

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