Coupled Up For Christmas (2023) -
I felt that this film was another one where it was a shame that they didn't take the opportunity to change the formula, because I definitely didn't like Sara Canning as Tiffany and therefore didn't want her to end up with Peter (Marcus Rosner). She was conceited and stroppy and I felt that she would have been better with her original crush, Brett (Joe Perry) because I didn't really care much about him either.
Marcus Rosner, was very sexy - What a fantastic jawline and sparkly eyes and great hair, but I did think that his character of Peter would have been better with Brett's girlfriend Matilda (Jocelyn Chugg) or even Tiff's Sister Camille (Megan Tracz). The only thing that was clear was that he was never meant to get back with his Ex Loraine (Skye Macdonald).
So yeah, the whole story could have been a different direction for a change where Tiff and Peter might have helped each other to see that love was out there, but despite a feeling that it might be between them, they would ultimately end up with someone we hadn't expected or at least only suspected, leaving them as besties at the close of the film maybe?
If I'm honest I probably wouldn't have stuck with this one at all if it wasn't for Marcus. I'm easily distracted by a nice face and he was definitely the most natural acting of them all.
Sadly Matilda, although pretty, was not the best actor. And the Mother, Gale (Sue Huff) was a lot to take.
The story was all very silly right from the off and once again, as with so many that I've seen lately, the concept was a silly one to start with. The whole pretending to be a couple to make others jealous and realise what they're missing has always been a flawed idea in life and in film stories. I think you have to get it really right with more drama than comedy for it to work. This was sadly the too comedic extreme, while Peter was generally very serious. The balance was off and there was too much of the daft behaviour to hide the lies.
Other than that the big "Snow Ball" could have used some actual music because the dancing was odd without it.
And Marcus' white tie at the end was a glaringly bad wardrobe choice and while his hair was perfect everyone else's was not that good at all, like none of them had washed theirs in days.
In general it felt a bit childish, like an episode of 'Saved By The Bell' (1989 - 92) but with adult characters and no canned laughter. I could be tricked in to watching it again, because of Mr Rosner, but I don't think that I would actively seek this one out as long as I remember this review.
5.79/1000.
