Baking Spirits Bright

The concept of trying to make Christmas fruitcake cool again is a terrific script concept, and they make the most of it, but the minor characters are minor and unidimensional and make the storyline thin, and Miss Sharma (who tries really hard) has no chemistry with the male lead. Her comment about what she'd teach her child - when that happens - seems a bit odd for a woman who is at least in her mid-40s. While the film has some original aspects, execution is often contrived and awkward, and Miss Sharma's talent is wasted.

Rekha Sharma is just not an actor able to represent change and growth in a character without coming across as grating and obnoxious. No chemistry with Dion Johnstone at all and I just could not get into this film. Representing women in this fashion is beyond insulting and irritating.....

The Christmas cake theme could have been fun instead it was irritating to the max.

This is another save the family business movie. Bring in a corporate big shot to do the marketing. Mira has to help bring Brady up to speed on what the business is about. Other siblings want a different life than the family business. All these things are common tropes.

Somehow the way it was done felt different. The Christmas baking trope is fruitcake since that's the family business.

Some things didn't seem to flow right for me. The chemistry between Rekha Sharma as Mira and Dion Johnstone as Brady was OK, maybe a B-. The way they were thrown together felt forced. Mira falling off the ladder was forced. Having their hands touch was forced. And Nani was mentioned way too much.

Ages of the actors was a distraction. Sharma can look younger than her age, but her real age is only 9 years less than her screen father, and 8 years less than her screen mother. Even the age she looks, Mira is going to be having biological children. For the traditional Indian family this is supposed to be, it's amazing that none of the 3 siblings has started a family yet especially the way they are all talking about carrying on the business.

For those who care about such things, there is a gay male romance developing. Some will say yay, and some nay, but it's there.

Love And Cakes At Christmas/Baking Spirits Bright (2021) -

Overall the film was all a bit giggly and treacly sweet, especially between the leading couple, Rekha Sharma as Mila and Dion Johnstone in the role of Brady.

And because of that I might have only stuck with this film because of the LGBTQ inclusion of Gay Jay played by Praneet Akilla who was very cute. I actually felt that the story might have worked better if it had focused on him and Finn (Riun Garner) instead. They could have been torn apart by the antics of the other two, before coming together in the end, because although the "Leads" seemed to go together quite well, I am personally quite over this particular vehicle for romance where the big executive comes in to save the failing small family business and falls in love instead.

In the end though I did actually quite like this version of the formula, there was something about the delivery that was a step up or at least in a different direction. I did like the homely seasonal warmth that the rest of the family brought too.

I liked the strong female presence of Rekha's character, although I wasn't so keen on Dion's Brady, but ultimately it was easy to see the two of them compromising and reaching an understanding. I wouldn't say that the relationship would last forever and as I've said, even with the little air time they had Jay and Finn delivered something that seemed sweeter and with more longevity, but it was a nice seasonal romance overall and ticked the boxes.

6.39/10.

Excellent movie. It's so refreshing to see a Christmas movie with a South Asian family and lead. Loved the family dynamic. They were funny, playful, irreverent without being stereotypical--felt like my family. Also loved all the cultural references and learning about the Kerala cake. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I don't agree that the couple did not have chemistry. It's just a different stage of life kind of love--which I enjoyed. It's a more mature kind of love, where you appreciate that they are stable as much as the fact that they are cute. Frankly, I found it refreshing to see them fall in love in the small details and quiet moments. So refreshing. Great job cast! Watched it again for the 2nd year in a row.