Movie Poster

I realized that Christmas is... is the time to be with people you love.

# Review

Much like Letters to Juliet, this film was not my first choice. It features an ensemble cast and various intertwining storylines about different forms of love, from the Prime Minister of the UK (Hugh Grant) falling for his household staff Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), to a man (Andrew Lincoln) in love with his best friend’s wife (Keira Knightley), to an English writer (Colin Firth) bonding with his Portuguese housekeeper (Lúcia Moniz) despite a language barrier. Although the focus is mainly on romantic love, there are also some non-romantic plotlines, such as a rock-and-roll star (Bill Nighy) promoting his Christmas single with his manager (Gregor Fisher) and a father (Liam Neeson) and stepson (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) pair dealing with the loss of their wife and mother, respectively.

The stories are hit or miss and felt superficial with no central moral or message connecting them. The links between the stories are also rather superficial, such as a character from one story being a relative to another character from another story. My favourite story is probably that of Harry (Alan Rickman), the managing director of a design agency, and his wife Karen (Emma Thompson). The story and acting are both very visceral. Overall the performances are decent but I preferred the more comedic roles such as Rowan Atkinson’s portrayal of Rufus, the retail salesperson.

# Conclusion

A great cast but the stories are hit or miss.

# Overall rating: 7.0

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