Perfect Strangers

All that snow, yet none falls on their heads. No 'breath' coming out their mouths? Couldn't suspend my reality for all the cheesy one liners.

Lost at Christmas is a small scale Scottish film. An antidote to the schmaltzy Hallmark films from the USA.

This bittersweet film is as cold as the Scottish weather in December. I know I have spent the Christmas period a few times up in Scotland over the years.

Bubbly Jen (Natalie Clark) has gone to a small highland town to see her long term boyfriend only to discover he is married.

Meanwhile Rob (Kenny Boyle) has proposed to his girlfriend and has been turned down. What hurt the most is being told, she doesn't love him.

Both Jen and Ron meet at the train station but heavy snow means that all trains are cancelled. Wanting to get back to Glasgow on Christmas Eve is no easy task.

Jen gets hold of a car but needs to stop at an inn because of the worsening weather. Only the residents of the inn are not in the festive mood.

This low budget film has a strong Doctor Who connection. Sylvester McCoy, Frazer Hines, Caitlin Blackwood all appear.

I found the movie tries too hard to be unsentimental and realistic. You end up not caring too much about the love story part when too many people are morose.

The character of Rob is hard to like although he thaws later on. I was more impressed with Natalie Clark as Jen.

Lost at Christmas needed a sprinkling of fairy dust to brighten it up.

Besides some excellent acting and cinematography, the storyline and non intrusive soundtrack made this the best Christmas movie of the season for my spouse and I. I happened to catch the beginning on Christmas when heading to bed but was glad to stay up until the end. Generally, I tend to watch films once but this was an exception. I watched on Boxing Day with my spouse which was a treat. My wife being Scottish felt the cast played their parts well besides relating to the backdrop of the north of Scotland where we bide. The bittersweet aspect of the film made the production memorable and thought the pace was right for a movie filmed in the Highlands. "Local Hero" has nothing on this production and purchasing the film is well worth the cost of a DVD or a watch online.

I was not going to bother writing a review of this film until I saw all the 10 star reviews from people who obviously did not see this film. The giveaway was when they wrote things like "touching", "heartwarming" and "hysterically funny". Those are catch phrases one might use when reviewing a Christmas Romantic Comedy. However, this film is not funny or romantic, and with the exception of the female lead telling everybody it's Christmas (yay), it could very well be arbor day.

There is ZERO chemistry going on between the two leads. There is very little connection between anybody in this film. There are some weird things like the left/right business that turned out to be nothing. There is just a coating of slush on the ground, yet the last train couldn't get through. People (yes I'm saying it too) who claim to be freezing, yet don't button up their coats. A plow that's stuck in the garage because they can't get it out because of the coating of slush blocking the door.

Then, as a twist, nothing happens.

A thoroughly enjoyable watch. The principle characters are given a chance to develop and change before our eyes, as they deal with their heartbreak during the holiday. It is a slow build, yet moves along at a satisfying speed The joys and sadness of the Christmas season are shown, all leading to a concussion. Beautiful.