Ghosts of Christmas Past

"Ellie" (Annie Clark) isn't the nicest of souls. She has an habit of chatting with, or meeting, men - then ghosting them. With Christmas fast approaching, she feels a little adrift so heads to a psychic who tells her that she must make amends if she is ever to find real love for herself. So, armed with her mobile phone (this features as prominently as she does in this film) and her, handsome, tech-savvy pal from work "Charlie" (Dan Jeannotte) she sets about trying to apologise for her systemic rudeness over the years. These scenarios form the basis of the story, but the real tale is about the pair of them putting two and two together and, well, it's not rocket science. This is a perfectly watchable, equally forgettable, slice of seasonal slush that gives two B-listers a chance to show off their perfect teeth, deliver some cheesy lines and take us on a journey of self-discovery that leaves us in no doubt at all about what is going to happen at the end. You will not need any cerebral input for this, it is a feel-good, lightly comedic, drama that maybe, just maybe, points out just how thoughtless and ignorant people can be to those they meet online.

Like most Christmas movies, this was so predictable and formulaic that it made my blood sugar spike until I passed out.

I'm giving it 2 stars because I was unconscious through most of it, which is the nicest thing I can say about this 1h 27m descent into mediocrity.

The title might be misleading. I was thinking some variation of A Christmas Carol, but it's not that at all. It's based on the practice of "ghosting" dates. Ellie is told she has to reconcile, or at least apologize, with all the men she has either ghosted online or in real life, or else be cursed. So, she enlists her co-worker to help her track them all down. Meanwhile the two of them are working on a pitch for a game they want to develop.

Ellie and Charlie spend a lot of time together between the two tasks and build a relationship. Dan Jeannotte plays Charlie. Charlie is more laid back than Ellie and almost irreverent about real life. Annie Clark's Ellie is meticulous. Their chemistry together is good as their characters rough out each other's edges.

In some ways it is an unusual premise even though at the roots it is one where two co-workers get thrown together. Tracking down the ghosted men adds something different. It seems like this is going to be an average story with no highs or lows, but then there is a twist. It caught me totally, but I think I should have seen it coming. From the point where the twist is revealed, the story gets interesting with several good moments. Good acting and directing.

Within the genre (Hallmark-ish romance), this movie is a cut above. Actually, it's just a good movie. The writing isn't mawkish and embarrassing, and the plot is sufficiently interesting to sustain anticipation of the inevitable. The leads are great and the character players do their jobs well. If you're looking for a Cohen brothers movie, then no, this isn't it (by the way, the ill-treated Intolerable Cruelty is an absolute delight, probably my favourite comedy-romance film; it's wrongly discounted for not being Cohen-brothers-weird enough, but is grade AAA+ in its conception and execution). And I've hit the minimum word limit. All the best in your life. See you in the great beyond (not a cry for help, just good vibes :).

Completely self-absorbed yet vapid female is sent by a fortune teller, on what feels like *The* 12-step program to apologize to all of the (probably) decent guys she "ghosted" on a dating app.

If you need to be told you're shallow and not only do you need to change your ways, but maybe look around and make amends to the people near you, your conceit is probably a lost cause. Fortune tellers should advise everyone to get off the apps and go meet real people "irl".

Most surprising twist? Not one of these guys says "no worries, I totally ghosted you first." I suggest if this is the only Christmas movie on, turn off the TV and bake cookies for your neighbors.