baileyaudreyl

Obviously this show relies heavily on Suspension of Disbelief. That's fine, I'm on board (no pun intended). But if these stories exist in reality enough that they have to deal with realistic COVID, why is the medical staff *asking a person's partner* if amputation is an acceptable option?!?

The wandering tourist is trapped but completely coherent, and shows no signs of lost mental faculties, but the medical staff decide she is unable to agree to her own medical care, and isn't even told what treatment is being done to her. (We're ignoring the 17 things they could have tried or suggested before amputation because again, Suspension of Disbelief.)

If you want a dramatic, heartfelt scene where the partner gets to declare her undying love and commitment, write a better one, with options, and painful discussion, and individual agency. She doesn't have to make a choice on her partner's behalf to have the scene work. It's even more interesting and powerful if she doesn't...

We forgive Hallmark and it's low-budget Holiday rom-com compatriots because they make us smile. They're formulaic, like family recipes and Christmas Eve traditions. Someone at Netflix decided that instead of taking that formula and adding quality acting, dialing back the cheese factor, throwing a dash more realism and diversity, the viewers really just wanted more "grit". She's a suburban middle class white girl, but she's angry. And she smokes. He's dating a pageant girl from an overly enthusiastic family, who just happens to be OK with talking about fellatio over Christmas gifts... Sadly I'll never know how the pissed off girl and the put-upon Aussie fare through a year of holidays, because even KChen couldn't save this one.

An enjoyable and heartwarming holiday movie full of fluff and glitter. Sure the accent slips, and the costumes are clearly from your average department store, the plot is obvious and the whole thing is so saccharine that it's hard not to cringe. All that withstanding; it was fun, there were new takes on old tropes, the actors had chemistry and the bright and cheery everything made the movie fairly glow. Not my new favorite rom-com, but I'd watch it again.