Your Christmas or Mine? Review: Improbable In The Relationship Between The Two Protagonists
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Cora Kirk, Daniel Mays, Alex Jennings, Lucien Laviscount, Angela Griffin, Natalie Gumede, David Bradley, Ram John Holder
Director: Jim O’Hanlon
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
As we will see in our review of Your Christmas or Mine? the film directed by Jim O’Hanlon turns out to be as entertaining as regards the family dynamics, as it is unlikely in the relationship between the two protagonists: fortunately, the interpretations of the two young actors slightly improve the fortunes of a decidedly ill-matched television couple.
In what seems to be a record year for the number of new Christmas films being released, a holiday film could certainly not be missing featuring one of the most popular small screen stars of recent years: we are talking about Asa Butterfield, best known for his role as Otis in the Netflix TV series Sex Education. This time airing on Prime Video, the actor takes part in a Christmas romantic comedy alongside a newcomer Cora Kirk and performers such as Daniel Mays, Alex Jennings, Angela Griffin and David Bradley.
Your Christmas or Mine? Review: The Story
It is the evening before Christmas Eve, at Marylebone station, London. James (Asa Butterfield) and Hayley (Cora Kirk) are two young lovers who have been dating for only two months; they would like to spend the holidays together but both are expected by their families, he in the Gloucester countryside, and she in Macclesfield. Boarded on their respective trains, a few minutes from departure, they both make a decision without each other’s knowledge: to surprise each other and get on their partner’s train. James and Hayley thus find themselves directed to their respective cities of origin, unaware of the fact that, in reality, only each other’s families will be waiting for them, mostly unaware of their relationship.
Hayley arrives at the Hughes property, greeted by a strict and aristocratic father (Alex Jennings) – who mistakes her for the new maid – and a very non-Christmas atmosphere. James, on the other hand, finds himself in a chaotic and overpopulated semi-detached house in a popular neighborhood. As if that weren’t enough, a sudden snowfall and a train delay prevent the two boys from moving, thus forcing them to spend a very different Christmas than usual. Will their young love survive the intrusiveness of relatives and the secrets that will gradually emerge?
Your Christmas or Mine? Review and Analysis
Indeed, James and Hayley have only been together for two months but it seems that they have no idea who the person they are dating is. Spending time at home with their respective families a whole series of omitted issues emerge – or are deliberately kept hidden – which alone would be enough to undermine trust within a couple. James is not the “ordinary” boy he has always passed himself off as, but a sort of nobleman, ideally in the line of succession for the throne of England; as far as Hayley is concerned, however, it will come out that the girl has not been exactly sincere about her sentimental situation.
But that’s not all: both, at the request of their partner, initially pretend to be someone else, who happened to be there almost by accident, consequently being stumbled upon by the relatives in question. This is because not even parents are exempt from their respective children’s lies. We are therefore faced with a triumph of short-legged lies that will be accepted too willingly by the protagonists of the film, but which will instead lead the viewer to wonder what James and Hayley talked about in the two months they spent together and what they base their relationship on.
James and Hayley, as well as their respective families, couldn’t be more different, even in the way they experience Christmas. James’s house, a villa in the Gloucester countryside run by a housekeeper, is austere and silent; his father, with his impassive gaze and stern temper, refuses to celebrate Christmas since his wife, James’s mother, tragically passed away four years earlier. In the same way, he treats his son with extreme rigor, for whom the man acts more like a cold guardian than a father.
In contrast, Hayley’s family is boisterous and intrusive: its members are colorfully typified, from the gruff grandmother to the rough-and-ready but loving breadwinner (Daniel Mays), to the slightly too feisty aunt. The embarrassing looks, the sharp humor and the tendency to drink too much finally complete an exasperated but funny family picture. Obviously, as in any self-respecting Christmas movie, every age-old problem will find its resolution, and even James’s father will eventually discover the more human side of himself.
Asa Butterfield turns out to be quite convincing in the role of an awkward but adorable James. The latter could easily be compared to Otis’ character in Sex Education, but in reality, a good dose of maturity emerges in his acting as well as a decidedly sharper irony. Newcomer Cora Kirk (currently filming The Devil’s Eyes), on the other hand, comes across as quite natural in his role and interaction with the rest of the cast. Even the chemistry with his co-star is not bad, although the two share very few moments on screen. Finally, the other cast members are well suited to the stereotypical characters that have been entrusted to them; worthy of note is certainly David Bradley (Argus Gazza in the Harry Potter saga) in the role of a grumpy and elderly mountain man with an easy rifle shot.
Your Christmas or Mine? Review: The Last Words
Your Christmas or mine? is a Christmas romantic comedy directed by Jim O’Hanlon and starring Sex Education star Asa Butterfield. The film turns out to be as entertaining as regards the family dynamics, as it is improbable in the relationship between the two protagonists: fortunately, the interpretations of the two young actors slightly improve the fortunes of a decidedly ill-matched television couple.
