“A Paris Christmas Waltz” is a TV movie released in 2023. It’s now available on Netflix, sandwiched amidst their Holiday movie titles.
It isn’t supernatural or anything dealing with Christmas magic. The movie is a blend of dancing and musical numbers. There is a predictable love story set amidst the beautiful backdrop of Paris in December.
Emma (Jen Lilley) is a Manhattan accountant. She swoons over an off-off-Broadway professional dancer named Leo (Matthew Morrison). Through some Holiday Hijinx, Emma becomes Leo’s partner for a dance competition in Paris.
Familiar Faces
“Waltz” is a reunion of sorts, at least for me. I last saw Jen Lilley in “The Spirit of Christmas” where I was dazzled by her charm and beauty. She’s the same here. Too pretty to be single. Too nice to be a human.
She’s perfect, and in case you didn’t notice, several scenes spell it out for us. At one point she takes the layoff over a coworker because he has a family, and she doesn’t. “What if there’s a different life out there just waiting for me and I’ve been stuck on the wrong path?”
I was also reunited with Paul Freeman, who I last (and only) saw as the rival archeologist René Belloq in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Here, Freeman plays Henry, an aging dance instructor who coaches Emma, on and off the dance floor. It’s surreal to see the actor, 43 years later. Freeman went from 38 to 81 in the blink of an eye. Yikes.
Matthew Morrison plays Leo. Morrison is a real-life dancer, having starred on Broadway and in the television series “Glee.” He lends verisimilitude to the role of Leo because you can tell he’s actually dancing. The love story with Emma is fine. There isn’t anything unexpected going on. Stephanie Siadatan lends support as Emma’s friend, Cece.
Ah, Paris!
I loved the setting of Paris. I assume it wasn’t filmed on location, but you can’t tell. The Eiffel Tower is itself one of the greatest creations by the hands of man. Seeing it glow and shine across the snowy decorated streets puts you in a merry mood. There are cafés, quaint buildings, and an ancient dance hall the serve to set the story.
“A Paris Christmas Waltz” is less than 90 minutes. Its fine but not something I would revisit. There isn’t much tension to the story. Emma loves Leo. He loves her but won’t mix business and pleasure. Until he inevitably does. There’s no antagonist or predicament, other than two attractive people falling I love.
It could be better; it could be worse.
