Christmas in the Cotswolds

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.

Appalling acting/directing/lighting/scenery. Actually went on line to see if it was filmed during Covid due to hair and makeup on the principal actors being so terrible and the lack of any customers at either market or pub. Surprised to see it was filmed in 23??

Acting was worse than 'Doctors' (terrible daytime soap on BBC that has recently Ben binned). Presumably very low budget. The main adverts were Andrew toilet tissue. There's some irony there..... Appreciate it may seem strange but occasionally watching something this bad, does make you realise there are good actors out there somewhere.

Good for a laugh though.

My first impression was that the female lead is definitely not American and is putting on an accent, which was true because she's Welsh. Would it have been hard to find a real American for the American lead? They mention she's from the States in every other line. I am American, so I can't speak to the authenticity of its Englishness, but I will say that it is filmed in England and the producer (and one of the directors) is English. Some of the reviews say that it it would bother real English people but it is actually made by English people, which is kind of funny.

The worst parts of this movie were lighting and sound mixing for me. The plot and acting weren't great but I don't expect that of Christmas movies. The lighting was always at least slightly uncanny. At times it made it seem like they were in front of a green screen, or maybe they were. The music sometimes got incredibly loud compared to the dialogue. I couldn't just turn it down because then I couldn't hear them talking.

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.

For anyone not acquainted with the Cotswolds, they are a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that feature some of the most picturesque villages and countryside in the U. K. I selected this film as easy watching for my wife and I as she dislikes anything with much drama/action/violence/noise. When I selected it the location was a big selling point. Call me old fashioned but when i select a film called Christmas in the Cotswolds i expect some Cotswolds! There were none ! Some aerial shots of non descript countryside but none of the rolling hills and beautiful villages of the Cotswolds!! You may think i am being unfair as the film is the main topic but when you also have dreadful acting, a cast with little or no chemistry, characters with no depth, an unnecessary age range of people - one daughter is in her late thirties her half sister is 9 - so it appears the cast was designed to fit in anyone that wanted to take part, a script that may have been written in about an hour with little or no wit or humour, you would think using the ******* Cotswolds as a distraction would be one of the first things anyone would do.

Anyway rant finished the Mrs thought it was harmless hence not getting lower marks but seriously dont waste your time.