A Christmas Exchange

About great scripting because a great script guarantees a hit, no matter the budget. If all the scripts were great Hollywood wouldn't think twice about the budget because of all the hits. Maybe Canada forces great scripting because the government is willing to foot the bill and they have a limit. Here is a great script. The actors are great and everything works.

And I thought Dick van Dyck's English accent was bad!!! This lot are dire!!! They even blatantly use film of Glasgow, with a Glasgow Airport bus in the shot, trying to pass it off as London. I'm from Essex, I'm a bit common if truth be told, but the actors put even my accent to shame! Authenticity level 1/10! At least The Holiday was filmed in the right places! I may seem a bit Grinchy, but hey ho, I'll live with it!

Obviously this movie borrows from the house swap movies, especially The Holiday, and from You've Got Mail. But it's not like most of the other "same old stuff" out there on all the Christmas channels. It's quirky and I don't think it's meant to be taken with a serious attitude.

Molly, played by Laura Vandervoort, is an emotionally messed up woman. He grams just died leaving her at loose ends. One thing she shared with her grams was an obsession with Romance novels. That's taken to an extreme here but it helps add to the quirkiness. Molly is not only hopeless emotionally, but she's also a little bit of a klutz.

Patrick is a rigid as Molly is quirky, but he changes more quickly. Part of that is being dumped by his girlfriend for not paying her enough attention. Rigid Patrick climbs (literally) into Molly's house and is immediately hit by Molly's totally different lifestyle and friends. He finds it endearing.

Laura Vandervoort and Rainbow Sun Francks have great chemistry. Since quirkiness and exaggeration are central to this movie, it's hard to say much about supporting actors. They fit right in.

I wish previews and the synopsis for this movie didn't give so much away, but the lack of viable candidates to match with the two leads makes it pretty obvious who is going to end up with who. Most house swap movies end up with two couples, one in each location.

This movie makes an excellent change of pace from the majority of the Christmas movies running at this time of year, but only if not taken in a serious manner.

British accents sound Australian, London looks like Glasgow, and no one in England has ever drunk Coffee before and we only eat Fish n Chips. Had the producers only ever seen old British black and white movies from the 50's.

How can you not love Laura Vandervoort in an adorable take on The Holiday? This is the perfect movie to do some winter escapism. Plus you get to enjoy the hilarious Yanic Truesdale, he cracks me up, lol!