Christmas in the Cotswolds

We all know there is a seemingly endless production of these kind of Christmas movies, but this one has all the production values and sentiment of a day time tv life insurance advert.

Supposedly set in the Cotswolds but clearly not shot within a 100 miles of said location. All action takes place in lifeless indoor locations with horrible, harsh lighting. Acting is of the carpet eating variety. Script and dialogue apparently written with the express intention of making the viewer despise every individual involved in the production.

Genuinely depressing to watch, which I'm fairly certain was not the intention.

When I tuned in I thought it was a Hallmark film due to female lead having an American accent, but as it continued it's lack of Cotswold scenery and the red Buick barn which look more like a modern community hall grated. I checked to find it was a British movie with British actors which hadn't even been filmed in the Cotswolds! Okay I could have overlooked this if the script and delivery but the script was repetitive and wordy, and delivery like watching a school play except here it was accompanied with music which did little to evoke our emotions.

A real waste of everyone's time, including mine.

I'm all for suspending belief but there are more plot holes in this film than a beginners knitted scarf. I doubt the producers/director have ever been to England as it couldn't have been more un-English if it tried. Wherever it was made I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Cotswolds and if this film was trying to emulate The Holiday it scores a big fail. The settings were all off for the English countryside and even the make-up was a miss. Whoever did make-up obviously forgot their kit and only managed to replace it with one slightly too orange eye shadow used on every female cast member. A very disappointing watch and one to miss now you have been warned.

Slightly different all-age friendly grown-up blended family storyline, albeit with a few boring tropes included (eg baking food fight) but the big problem is it really doesn't feel very British. For starters, the film needed to include more typical Cotswolds building shots / landscapes. This is a fairly relaxing watch - most of the drama is the back story, not much happens on-screen, so I can't believe they spun it out to 90 mins. However the relationships are uplifting - the generally get on well together, including current and ex wives. This movie could have been excellent, but it required more visuals and less explaining eg could have shown weather forecast and people ringing to cancel etc. The former would also have potential to improve the British feel with a map etc. Overall disappointing but mainly frustrating because the potential wasn't maximised.

Channel 5 wanted to show this film and insisted on the title change to place it in the Cotswolds. Not the production team's plan, as it was filmed in Dorset by an English company, but funded and commissioned overseas (Canada, I think).

A small cast, sourced in the UK (hence a Welsh girl acting as an American and not importing an actress). Nice locations. The pub scene is very true to life, the decor of an Old English Inn at Christmas - could make people nostalgic.

Unfair to compare with big studio productions - small budget - light-hearted entertainment to fill schedules.

It is what it is. Made for off-prime time TV.