A Festive Film That Fails to Sparkle
The new British Christmas film 3 Wishes for Christmas has arrived in cinemas, but this seasonal offering brings little festive cheer. Described by critics as having all the personality of a supermarket voucher, the film struggles to deliver the magic expected from a holiday romance.
What's the Story?
Christine During stars as Tessa, a magazine agony columnist whose professional life barely features in this poorly constructed narrative. The plot follows familiar festive tropes: Tessa breaks up with her dull finance-bro boyfriend, decides to spend Christmas with her annoyingly perky best friend Fiona, played by Katie Sheridan, and has a predictable meet-cute with Fiona's rude but handsome brother Sam, portrayed by Jacob Anderton.
The script feels like a compilation of recycled elements from better Christmas films and literature, with pointless plot points that go nowhere and dialogue that sounds like it was generated by artificial intelligence.
A Cast Left to Fend for Themselves
The film's sole saving grace appears to be lead actress Christine During, whose competent performance manages to make the insipid dialogue sound somewhat credible. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast, who seem to have received little direction and occasionally appear to be literally thrashing around in scenes.
The direction has been described as incompetent, leaving actors exposed and struggling to bring life to their underwritten characters. The result is a film that feels awkward and poorly executed throughout.
Who Is This Film For?
3 Wishes for Christmas appears to be aimed at romance-loving pre-adolescents who aren't quite ready for more mature romantic comedies like the Bridget Jones series. While the film is largely inoffensive and merely boring rather than actively bad, there are certainly better options available for this demographic.
The British festive fable lacks imagination and originality, feeling like the cinematic equivalent of receiving socks as a Christmas present. While it won't offend most viewers, it's unlikely to become anyone's new holiday favourite.
3 Wishes for Christmas arrives in UK cinemas from 21 November, though audiences might want to consider whether this is the best way to spend their festive cinema budget.
