Christmas With You
Overall Rating: 2.5 Golden Rings
Worth watching: I REALLY wanted to say yes, but unfortunately it’s a no from me. The .5 of a golden ring is because I love the culturally relevant traditions weaved throughout the film. We need more of that in the homogenous genre of cheesy, romantic holiday movies.
Chemistry: Gives very platonic vibes. Feels forced.
Smooch Quality: Meh, I expected it to be better.
Plot According to Julie: Struggling to remain relevant, pop-star diva Angelina has until the holiday gala to write a chart topping Christmas song or she risks getting dropped by her label. In an attempt to connect with her followers, she makes a surprise visit to a super fan whose father happens to be a musician / songwriter played by Freddie Prinze Jr who, coincidentally, is working on a Christmas song. After she gets unexpectedly get snowed in and stuck at their house, she decides to partner with him to see if they can make a hit song in time. As they work together to create musical magic, will the song be the only thing they have in-sync?
Review [Spoilers]: There were so many ways this movie went wrong. First of all, on more than one occasion it seemed like the leading actress was having trouble remembering her lines, which made me cringe. Secondly, they kept having conversations in the most random locations! For example, they are in a NYC suburb in December during a snow storm and we are supposed to believe they would just casually go outside and have a conversation in the driveway for funsies? There is another scene where they are talking on a NYC rooftop and another where she is just wandering around Time Square forlorn. She is supposed to be a recognizable star and we are supposed to believe she’d just be walking through Time Square with no security during the Holidays? You’re dreaming. My last thought is that, like many of these movies, they were sloppy. During their big performance, they have Freddie playing the piano, but a majority of the instrumental is acoustic guitar with no piano. Why not just change the instrument he is playing? I also think at one point Angelina’s assistant, Mo, enters a room and says, “Hi Freddie”. It’s just sloppy.
