'JINGLE BELL HEIST' ON NETFLIX

London has its share of fancy, upscale department stores that are famous for luxury goods, cultural iconic status, and architectural grandeur. Harrods comes to mind as a prime example, as well as Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges, among others.

For the Christmas backdrop of “Jingle Bell Heist,” the fictional Sterling’s department store is modeled after these opulent shopping palaces, and it serves as the setting for a contrived crime caper of a robbery during the holiday season.
     
Olivia Holt’s Sophia is an American expatriate living in London, where her British mother is hospitalized with cancer and needing an expensive treatment available only through costly private medical care.
     
A clerk at the fancy Sterling’s store, Sophia has a knack for picking pockets as well as locks, having learned sleight-of-hand from her grandfather, a magician and locksmith.  She also works after hours at a local pub.
     
While Sophia is a petty thief, she’s more like Robin Hood in that her victims are unsympathetic characters deserving bad karma and she’s giving the stolen cash to the less fortunate.
     
An ex-con arrested for stealing from Sterling’s, Nick (Connor Swindells), who had been involved with installing the security system at the department store, now works at a phone repair shop where he still has access to the store’s security cameras.
     
While Nick enjoys watching security footage, he catches Sophia purloining some cash and valuables in Sterling’s storage.  With this knowledge, he makes a move to enlist Sophia into a major heist of jewels kept in the store’s impenetrable vault.
     
At first, Sophia doesn’t want to be involved in an elaborate grand theft, but then there’s the case of her mother’s dire plight, and besides, store owner Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz) is a wealthy jerk and odious boss. 
     
It appears that Nick was framed in the Sterling theft and ended up serving a five-year prison term, which is why his wife divorced him and now threatens to move away with their daughter because he’s behind on child support.
     
Thus, Nick and Sophia have reasons to carry out the heist and split the money, and getting revenge on Maxwell Sterling is only a part of the equation.  Sophia can take care of her mom, and Nick can prove that he can be a reliable father.
     
Given that this pair of heist plotters are amateurish, not everything goes according to plan until another connected surprise party provides invaluable assistance to make the robbery possible.
     
The inevitable romantic angle, sealed with a kiss, that comes into play seems to be unnecessary, but then this is a holiday movie where it seems almost obligatory, given the heist happens on Christmas Eve.
     
“Jingle Bell Heist” strains credulity as a serious crime caper, because the planning that goes into it is basically ludicrous. And yet, the writers came up with every contrivance to have you rooting for Sophia and Nick, and that might be enough to make it work.

HALLMARK CHANNEL HOLIDAY MOVIES
    
During the holiday season, Hallmark Channel reliably turns its schedule into a 24/7 festive feast of mostly movies and some episodic series into a celebration of the happiest time of the year.
    
 When “Christmas Above the Clouds” finds workaholic CEO Ella Neezer (Erin Krakow) trying to skip Christmas by flying to Australia, she’s in for the flight of her life.  Haunted by her past, present and future, Ella is forced to confront the choices that led to her success yet left her flying solo. 
     
With the help of three quirky spirits and a surprise reunion with her ex (Tyler Hynes), Ella might just rediscover the magic of Christmas and the love that she thought she’d lost.
     
“Three Wisest Men” reunites Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, and Margaret Colin as the Brenner family for another Christmas story, this time their lives are more chaotic than ever.
    
As Luke (Walker) is expecting twins, Taylor (Hynes) is debating a monumental job opportunity out-of-state, and Stephan (Campbell) attempts to plan for his upcoming nuptials.
     
Everyone’s stress heightens when they learn their mom (Colin) has put their childhood home up for sale, marking their final Christmas in the Brenner house.
     
With unexpected in-laws visiting, wild animals lurking in freshly cut Christmas trees and a hesitant mall Santa, the boys will have their work cut out for them as the holiday begins to loom.
     
As they navigate adulting at a level they have yet to reach, they must learn to once again lean on one another to rise to the needs of their growing family, conquer the newest challenges in their lives, and have the best Christmas ever.
     
In “The Snow Must Go On” Broadway actor Isaiah Heyward (Corey Cott), last on stage ten years ago, is visiting family in upstate New York when he learns the local high school may have to cancel their Christmas musical because they need a director.
    
Isaiah decides to save the show, and in the process stumbles on a romance with guidance counselor Lilly-Anne (Heather Hemmens) for a nice Christmas surprise.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.