This Time Next Year

Strange experience - the main girl is playing Keira Knightley (why?). This film has really good cast so the quality of writing, directing and filming is a little disappointing. Although it is much better than any of the American Christmas Netflix productions it is also far too long. The mothers of the main characters however are a triumph! It's worth watching just to enjoy their performance. The ending is better than expected though, so if you have nothing better to do you may as well enjoy this romantic comedy/ Christmas movie but I doubt it will join the classics - nowhere near the quality of the Holiday or the Last Christmas.

Come on Britain, you, who has given us Notting Hill, Bridget Jones, Run Fat Boy Run, About Time, Sliding Doors, Man Up and so many more.... R E A L LY? This romance is unoriginal, unconvincing and shallow. It even sucks the usual "romcom character stereotypes" that would make any failing brit romcom bearable.

Let's start with our Heroine: A frighteningly skeletal looking, badly dressed, "plain Jane" would not be just a plain Jane, in a good romcom. Cookson is not charming and so amateurish in her acting that i blame the Director, Nick Moore, to let this pass.

It might have helped if the filmmakers injected some underlying glam in her terribly shabby dressing and hair style.

The makers also missed out to portray the "eccentric best friend" with the usual originality.

Instead, she is drowned in wigs, uttering boring gaffs and dressed like a character from Charlie's Choc Factory.

I must say the display of bad wigs wont end here, and that the plot is even worse than the wigs. However the male protagonist, Laviscount, will make it worthwhile to suffer this story through. He has more relatable performance and the right amount of vulnerability, he even tackles the chemistry if only.....

Okay this is your typical English Rom Com, with a few tears along the way. The supporting characters are pretty annoying, the two leads carry the film well.

There are some big names in the cast, Keala Settle, John Hannah even Anita Dobson pops.up.

London as ever looks great on camera, The film is under 2 hours and it went pretty quickly. Well worth a watch, if you like a feel good film.

Yes British films are cliche-ridden, some people will cringe at dome of the scenes.

This is on Netflix so nothing extra to watch abd saves going to the cinema in the cold dark night.

Like I said well worth a watch.

To preface this review, usually I love a good rom-com. But this movie had a thin, senseless plot and a really bad case of overacting that it just wasn't very enjoyable. Sophie Cookson, playing the lead and unlucky character Minnie, was unfortunately so dramatic and squeaky it became annoying. The actor playing Quinn, Lucien Laviscount from Emily in Paris, was slightly more understated but still was exuding borderline school-play level acting. I would hope it was a result of poor direction, as I don't remember this poor acting in their previous works that I've seen. The supporting cast were just okay.

Beyond the acting, I just don't think the plot translated very well into a movie, like it couldn't create a balance between whimsy and realism. It definitely wasn't nailing being a comedy. I haven't read it, but perhaps the book was better.

Either way, maybe the film just wasn't my cup of tea and others will enjoy this type of cheesy acting and direction. If you don't though, I'd give this one a skip.

I was so excited to watch this movie. Cheesy romcoms are my treats for lazy Sunday afternoons. The director of the movie worked on all my favorite UK rom-com movies (Love Actually, Notting Hill, About a Boy). John Hannah and Monical Dolan are top rate actors. Loved her in Sherwood. For some reason, they made her wear a strange and stupid wig but I digress.

The premise of the movie is pretty typical and the side characters were alright. So what could possibly go wrong? The main character Winnie was comically bad. Her over the top whinging and whiny was so annoying I had to stop watching after about 30 minutes.