guaxary

It was surprising how inauthentic and stiff the religious references in this movie were. Christmas mythology is so symbolic and beautiful, so to make it feel so artificial and unappealing was really disappointing. Especially the 'prayer' at the end...

They had all the good ingredients but still made it look like the person who wrote this had no idea about Christianity and what the appeal was in it.

Too much ideological icing made this cake unbearably sweet.

There were some interesting moments, some usual and unusual tropes that made it look familiar but still interesting; it could have been really nice.

Great cast but sadly that's about it. And even that is wrong since the age gap between actresses playing mother and daughter is just too small. Ok, kudos to the set design, music, costumes and makeup... Military references sound like written by somebody who doesn't understand a thing about war and soldiers.

There are meta references trying to make fun of the Christmas movie genre, but they just miss the point/are not funny enough to justify some stereotypical plot decisions. (Ok, maybe the one when they walk in the snow wearing just thin jackets, no hats, scarves or gloves and he asks her if she isn't cold and she says that yeah, she is very warm was a bit funny).

And even their Jesus references are so pompous and stiff that they didn't manage to tie him to Christmas!

And how come we're supposed to believe that American soldiers who fought in WWII are still out and about.

No real feelings, no reflection, just reciting stereotypical lines - I know that plenty of people, especially religious and military related use those ready-scripts in their real life but that works only in the inner circle, not when you're trying to make your 'cause' interesting to the outside world.

The cherry on the top: there is absolutely no romance chemistry between the main characters. I wonder if that's the main actress just holding back because she wants to be seen as a good christian wife in her private life.

So yeah, despite the dialogues being so full of moral righteousness, everyone in the movie seems to be selfish, focused on their own agenda, manipulative or calculated...

So refreshing and cute!

Great vibe, great actors and believable dialogues.

Funny moments but not cartoonish.

Queer but not preachy or educational about it.

Yes, you can tell it's an indie/low-budget production. Would be great to see this team being commissioned to make something for a big studio. I love Christmas movies cheesiness, but if we could get something in between the usual over-the-top Christmas decorations, fake snow and actors wearing sweaters and puffer jackets but no gloves or hats and this movie filmed in airbnbs with beige walls and no decorations whatsoever... And the 'cafe' that only serves drip coffee and always only has one consumer at a time? Chef's kiss :D.

I didn't think I'd like it, but a moment after I put it on, I knew I wanted to continue!

Great actors, very Christmassy set design, interesting story about slightly older than usual characters but... The fake snow is so fake, to the point of being comical and ruining 'the 4th wall'.

They paid so much attention to detail that they even got the characters' knees wet during the snowball fight, but it was all ruined by bouncy, cottonwool (more likely polyester ;)) light and bouncy snowmen. And then later you could see in the background that the snow patches were just white, fluffy polyester fabric.

About halfway through the movie, I couldn't focus on the plot or the interactions anymore, just watching the set and picking the funny moments there.

What could have gone wrong?

The saddest part is that for these types, unless they are the victims, it doesn't matter where the money comes from.

Before THEY started losing money, they were impressed they were 'chosen' by a modern slave owner.

That's it! Rich people trying to avoid taxes, for whom it's perfectly normal that others hide their money in tax havens and try to hide from authorities.

Blame your business school for not straightening your worldview you inherited from your home and give us a break.