Christopher Russell has no trouble finding work these days because he is popping up on romcoms on multiple networks!
This season, he recently starred in A Vintage Christmas on Great American Family, and he will also appear in Santa Tell Me on Hallmark Channel on November 9.
Operation Nutcracker, however, may be one of his best movies to date.
What Is Operation Nutcracker About?
When a priceless antique nutcracker, set to be auctioned at the Warby family Christmas charity goes missing in an unfortunate suitcase swap, it's up to the exacting even planner, Lottie Morgan and the free-spirited heir to the Warby dynasty, Tristan, to track it down, all while capturing the heart and spirit of Christmas.
The Chemistry Is Tangible Between Newbrough & Russell in Operation Nutcracker
A big complaint of Hallmark fans regarding new movies is the casting. Too often, romantic leads are paired in such nonsensical ways that if Santa were banking on their spark to make his sleigh fly, he would never have liftoff.
When Christopher Russell first burst onto the romcom scene, viewers agreed that while he was ridiculously good-looking, his acting skills were lagging. A gazillion scripts later, Russell has hit his stride. Not only have his professional abilities improved, but he's able to work with his co-star to create phenomenal chemistry.
Lottie and Tristan first connect at the airport--he's heading home for his family's charity auction to benefit the children's hospital. Although Lottis is unaware of his identity, she is traveling to the same destination for an interview with his mother. They narrowly miss trading identical suitcases, and Tristan quips, "Classic bag swap just like in a romcom." Before each leaves the airport, their paths cross again, and Lottie jokes, "We've got to stop meet cuting this way." The good-natured jabs scripted by Hallmark to poke fun at their own movie genre are classic.
Turns out, Tristan actually does swap bags accidentally, but it's not with Lottie. As the two scramble to find the lost nutcracker before the auction and before Tristan's mother learns the truth, the adventure draws them closer. The 7-second hug and the final kiss are wowza!
Multiple Layers in the Operation Nutcracker Story
Operation Nutcracker is a stereotypical romcom, and yet it's not. The story is multi-faceted and not just surface level fluff.
Tristan is traveling the world as a philanthropist for his family's foundation, but it's more to avoid his mother's pressure for him to soon head the foundation. Lottie thinks his life has been easy, but when she learns about his sister's childhood illness, she realizes everyone has personal struggles.
Lottie hasn't been able to connect with her father since her mother's death. Both of them are workaholics but grow to realize that their relationship is worth saving.
The subplot also adds a lot of depth to the story, which revolves around another workaholic, Dave, a man Lottie and Tristan are trying to track down because he has the nutcracker. Dave's wife, Pam, unknowingly crosses paths with them, unaware of the significance of their chance encounter. Pam and Dave's daughter, Josephine, misses a chance to be Clara during the annual Nutcracker ballet, but a fun surprise awaits her.
Plus, a little Christmas magic is thrown in for good measure--who is the mysterious donor who buys the nutcracker, and why does it end up under the Christmas tree with a tag addressed to someone else?
Final Thoughts from RomCom Review on Operation Christmas
Lore has it that nutcrackers bring good luck and lead you to your fate, which certainly tracks for Lottie and Tristan. The Nutcracker is the centerpiece for the entire movie, from sleuthing to find the lost one, to the tiny details of the fundraising gala, to the ballet featuring Josephine. Operation Nutcracker pays a unique homage to the classic tale.
A little humor sprinkled throughout the movie is fun, especially the scene when Tristan's sister decapitates the decoy nutcracker.
The only criticism of the movie is that multiple instances of dialogue reference "the universe" in a way that is very New Age, such as, "The universe is trying to tell you something." This angle is expressed in an increasing number of Hallmark movies produced over the past couple years. In older, quality Hallmark movies, plot tensions often worked out thanks to "divine intervention," where God was honored in the storytelling, especially at Christmas. Now, with the "wokesters" who are currently running Hallmark, good things that happen are attributed to the involvement of "the universe," which is a form of pantheism--a belief that the universe, not God, is divine, sacred, and inter-connected in a way that worships creation over the Creator.
Operation Nutcracker still remains a big hit thanks to a fun story, great character development, fabulous chemistry, talented leads, and the perfect amount of plot tension.
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