Christmas Movie for Adults - Part 1

1. The Holiday, 2006

⭐️Rate: 8/10

🎬Review: There are some romantic comedies that I don't like, but The Holiday is an exception. I found it sweet and very entertaining at times. The four stars, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black are very talented actors, and their performances take centre stage here. Kate Winslet was lovely as Iris, but I was really delighted with Cameron Diaz as Amanda, especially when she is seen wearing stilettos in the snow. At my first viewing the whole cinema were like "How does she do that?" I also thought their exchange on the phone was hilarious too. As the men, I really liked Jack Black as Miles, a perfect blend of subtlety and spirit. Jude Law, an actor who isn't always my cup of tea, does very well indeed, as Diaz's new friend Graham. This tells the story of two women who swap homes and make lifelong friends, or something along the lines of that. My sister has this on DVD and absolutely loves it. I have only two quibbles with this movie, the script is a little weak and frothy at times, and there are some places where the story is underdeveloped. Still a beautiful-looking and hugely enjoyable film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

2. Love Hard, 2021

⭐️Rate: 9/10

🎬Review: Love Hard is amazing! I love Catfish: The show so I assumed I would enjoy this. Surprisingly, I almost loved it! This movie had gorgeous Christmas decorations, a beautiful story, and hilarious jokes. Also, I did not know Nina Dobrev could sing? The singing in the movie was something added I never knew I needed. I don't understand why they used a different voice for Harry Shum Jr. When he was on Glee, but I think it was a joke.

I will watch this every year!

3. A California Christmas, 2020

⭐️Rate: 6/10

🎬Review: If you by some miracle have binge-watched every TV Christmas movie made for the year 2020, you will undoubtedly stumble upon A California Christmas.

While the cheesy title and cover-art suggest that it shouldn't be anything more than your typical Hallmark / Lifetime affair, this movie nevertheless managed to hold my attention throughout it's entire 2-hour run.

The story itself is nothing new (rich bad boy falls in love with farm girl etc.), but there is a substantial budget thrown into the production of this movie, so it is very visually pleasing. It is a little too long for my taste, and there were a few cringe-worthy montages to remind us that this movie may have been targeted for a much younger audience.

The best part of the movie is without a doubt the story between the mother and the daughters, but the movie took too long to get there. Netflix obviously tried to bank on the natural good looks of the two leads (there are plenty of suggestive, drawn out scenes in the beginning of the movie to convince the audience just how attractive the actors are), but I personally don't find either of them particularly memorable.

As a warning to parents hoping to add this movie to their viewing list this coming Christmas: this movie is not intended for children. On top of the suggestive scenes already mentioned above, there are also a handful of love scenes with one in particular that are best saved for after the children have gone to bed.

4. Holidate, 2020

⭐️Rate: 8/10

🎬Review: Some of the critic reviews on this are way too harsh. The clearly don't know the genre well. My sister and I watch a LOT of sappy Christmas romances. I mean a lot. And many of them are just downright awful, so our bar is admittedly low. This one was actually a really good time and we quite liked it. The chemistry is there with the very likable leads. They both brought a lot of wit to a script that was admittedly awkward and stupid at times (though it had its moments). Luke Bracey in particular was very fun to watch.We laughed ourselves crying a few times, and overall we really enjoyed the film. Critics need to lighten up.

Looking for a christmas movie for adults? Try to recommend this and let me know your thoughts! :)

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