Undercover Holiday
Reviewed by Lisa Sue
Dedicated readers of this blog will know that I’m a sucker
for cops and Christmas uniting, I did review A Christmas Witness last
year thinking surely that was a one off? Well, here we are again, another
undercover at Christmas meet cute, and I’m so here for it. Also, as this year’s
blogs illustrate, I’m a sucker for a mystery, no matter how inane the crime.
This movie’s premise is Jaylen is a newly minted pop star, about to have her
first tour after winning some American Idol-like contest. Her manager Benny and
BFF Margot guide and help Jay, and as they enter the rented mansion the label
is putting her up in a couple of red flags appear. The gate is open (they
totally closed it when they left earlier) and after passing some annoying
paparazzi (which I’m just going to add is a bit unusual as Jay is just starting
out on this pop star journey and aside from winning the contest hasn’t really done
anything to warrant pap hounding her. Just sayin) they notice a rose and an
unsigned note are left at the door. What criminal mastermind breached Jay’s
security and how? Manager Benny springs into action and the label immediately sends
over some security to make sure their next cash cow is kept safe. From what I
hear it seems doubtful that labels are that protective of brand new talent? But
we go with this, as it is a Christmas Hallmark Movie and things must happen, no
matter how unbelievable, for the meet cute to occur. And we do applaud Benny
for calling the cops and not trying to handle this one himself. But as this is
a Hallmark movie, the cops show up but quickly disappear, cause we need to
bring in the real crime solver, ex Navy Seal turned personal body guard for the
music label, Matt.
Matt is super serious about his job, much to Jay’s chagrin.
Instead of being all happy that her label is willing to shell out the big bucks
to keep her safe, she’s concerned about bringing Matt home to Squirrel Hollow
for the holidays. Jaylen is totally unconcerned that some potential creepy
stalker (or worse a murderer) is targeting her. She attempts to bake some
cookies to bring home, but Matt (and we presume the new oven) have thrown off
her baking game and one batch is “ugly” and the other is burnt. One more stop
before getting to Squirrel Hollow, a Panaderías in LA to bring home some baked
treats to replace the ruined cookies. I’m sure if some LA bakery wanted the product
placement, they could have been the treat Jay brings home but alas I guess no
calls were made. Jay tells Matt that they’re going to have to come up with a
story for her family, cause she just can’t bring home a body guard. The family
already think that LA is some crime ridden murder capital. Jay’s abuela feels
like she needs to come home, for her family will protect her. Apparently though
Jay’s brother wrestling in high school doesn’t rate high enough for the record
label to call that “adequate security” while Matt tries to explain to Jay that he
won’t lie to her family…cue Jay telling her family that Matt is her boyfriend
(they totally didn’t take the time during the trip to hash out some crucial
details. It is all about the small things when perpetrating a lie) Poor Matt is
being dragged along against his will, he gets too entangled in Jay’s web of intrigue
to be able to leave. But he continues to play along because he’s a
professional, and protecting Jay is the job. Jay doesn’t bother to learn where
Matt is from, and incorrectly tells the family he’s from Cleveland vs his
actual home town of Simi Valley.
First night Jay is back home, they go out to the local hang
out Hannigan’s to see the old crew including, old high school rival Lorelai to do
some karaoke. Backstory on Lorelai is that Jay was the fork to Lorelai’s Belle;
Jay was the Von Trapp boy to Lorelai’s Maria; Jay was always second fiddle, you
get the picture. Sounds like a perfect person to be stalking Jay, a bitter
rival so consumed with jealousy that Jay was living the life that was meant for
her! Except wait, not so fast. Jay and Lorelai do Christmas Medley 8 together,
which appears to be a “12 days of Christmas” mixed with “O Christmas tree” sung
as a duet. So while there may be jealousy on Lorelai’s end, Jay isn’t that
consumed about all those missed starring roles. A dropped glass interrupts the Christmas
medley, Matt jumps up to save her (told ya, he took his job very seriously) and
they end up outside where Jay’s Ex Eddie shows up. How did he know where Jay
was? Eddie’s claim is it’s a small town, news travels fast. Could Eddie be the
one sending the threatening notes?
While I’m not shipping Matt and Jay, the movie goes on to do
some Mexican- American Christmas traditions to try and change my mind. The
Rodriguez family puts on a living nativity scene. Jay’s pregnant sister in law
gets to play Mary, leaving Jay to be an angel. Matt hilariously plays a
wise man, even without the proper improv skills he feels are needed to keep up
with Jay’s pretense, and despite the medical emergency of Faith going to labor,
Matt did manage to enjoy himself. Next up is some dancing in preparation for
the tour with some big shot choreographer. To get the choreographer to get her,
Jay does some salsa. Because she has to be her. Which Jay keeps telling us,
which extends to the record label that won’t agree to her singing in both
English and Spanish. We appreciate the fight to simply be seen for your
authentic self and are glad when Matt pushes Jay to be bold. Be courageous.
Never give up, plan plot and execute; semper fortis! And other nuggets of
wisdom like don’t make yourself small so others feel comfortable. Jay starts to
think Matt is the only one who sees her, like the real her! Not her manager
Benny who told her to not rock the boat as a new label signee, and to be a team
player which means shut up and do as you’re told. Not her family that just want
her back home and holding her back from achieving her dreams! Its enough to
make a viewer go crazy with all the complaints Jay has. Not to mention putting
on this charade just to have a “normal Christmas” with her family, but is this
all really normal I ask you?
Then there was tamaladas; which I really think is a
tradition that needs to be incorporated more into the general American population.
Who doesn’t like tamales? What could me more Chirstmasy than a group of people coming
together for a common purpose, the making of delicious tamales. With abuela as
the jefa telling everyone exactly where they are stationed and what they need to
do. Then we have luminaria; a
traditional Mexican Christmas lantern consisting of a candle set in sand inside
a paper bag. That the whole Rodriguez family gathers together, lights the
candles and share their hope and wises for the coming year. In between we get the
answer to the mystery of who’s been sending the notes- Matt (with help from Jay’s
brother Hector) sus out it was the ex Eddie. A very disappointing reveal, that
included Eddie explaining he didn’t sign the notes cause Jay would know his
handwriting. Turns out she didn’t know as well as he thought, because Jay saw
the first note and didn’t say it was Eddie. Also, did Eddie go out to LA and
trespass at Jay’s mansion, get back to Squirrel Hollow, and continue his
stalking? Alas, these questions aren’t answered by the movie. Jay takes Matt’s
advice and pushes the label to really hear her songs, and the label big wigs agree
to let her do Spanish and English songs, meaning she does Benny’s job better
than Benny (as he points out) As Jay lights the town tree as the grand
marshall, she does it with the help of Lorelei, and the two frenemies realize
that despite everything they really encourage and support one another. Sad to
see that Lorelei wasn’t given some Mean Girls treatment and run over like she
deserves, but Jay feels that without Lorelei’s encouragement she wouldn’t have
auditioned or made it to the pop star she was destined to be! And when the
Rodriguez family finds out that Matt really is just a body guard, they are
hurt. It’s the push and pull of family- Jay feels they’re holding her back,
they think they’re protecting her, in the end they are all lying to each other
(and themselves) But once its all out in the open, nothing left to do but for Matt
and Jay to make up, cause for some unknown reason they get each other.
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