User reviews

My first impression was that the female lead is definitely not American and is putting on an accent, which was true because she's Welsh. Would it have been hard to find a real American for the American lead? They mention she's from the States in every other line. I am American, so I can't speak to the authenticity of its Englishness, but I will say that it is filmed in England and the producer (and one of the directors) is English. Some of the reviews say that it it would bother real English people but it is actually made by English people, which is kind of funny.

The worst parts of this movie were lighting and sound mixing for me. The plot and acting weren't great but I don't expect that of Christmas movies. The lighting was always at least slightly uncanny. At times it made it seem like they were in front of a green screen, or maybe they were. The music sometimes got incredibly loud compared to the dialogue. I couldn't just turn it down because then I couldn't hear them talking.

For anyone not acquainted with the Cotswolds, they are a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that feature some of the most picturesque villages and countryside in the U. K. I selected this film as easy watching for my wife and I as she dislikes anything with much drama/action/violence/noise. When I selected it the location was a big selling point. Call me old fashioned but when i select a film called Christmas in the Cotswolds i expect some Cotswolds! There were none ! Some aerial shots of non descript countryside but none of the rolling hills and beautiful villages of the Cotswolds!! You may think i am being unfair as the film is the main topic but when you also have dreadful acting, a cast with little or no chemistry, characters with no depth, an unnecessary age range of people - one daughter is in her late thirties her half sister is 9 - so it appears the cast was designed to fit in anyone that wanted to take part, a script that may have been written in about an hour with little or no wit or humour, you would think using the ******* Cotswolds as a distraction would be one of the first things anyone would do.

Anyway rant finished the Mrs thought it was harmless hence not getting lower marks but seriously dont waste your time.

We all know there is a seemingly endless production of these kind of Christmas movies, but this one has all the production values and sentiment of a day time tv life insurance advert.

Supposedly set in the Cotswolds but clearly not shot within a 100 miles of said location. All action takes place in lifeless indoor locations with horrible, harsh lighting. Acting is of the carpet eating variety. Script and dialogue apparently written with the express intention of making the viewer despise every individual involved in the production.

Genuinely depressing to watch, which I'm fairly certain was not the intention.

When I tuned in I thought it was a Hallmark film due to female lead having an American accent, but as it continued it's lack of Cotswold scenery and the red Buick barn which look more like a modern community hall grated. I checked to find it was a British movie with British actors which hadn't even been filmed in the Cotswolds! Okay I could have overlooked this if the script and delivery but the script was repetitive and wordy, and delivery like watching a school play except here it was accompanied with music which did little to evoke our emotions.

A real waste of everyone's time, including mine.

Cute Holiday Movie, different and interesting plot, unfortunately the sound mixing is horrible, either you have to add subtitles or adjust your sound every few minutes... Sad, as this could have easily been resolved before airing... Setting and location, I was so looking forward to experiencing the Cotswolds; scenery, culture and Christmas heritage... Oh well, a lost opportunity, as this film may have been filmed anywhere in the world, adding a little artificial / digital snow, and it would have made no difference. The Christmas Market could have easily been filmed in a studio, very little atmosphere, kiosks are empty and their is a huge lack of extras... the market / village is empty... All said, I still gave this Christmas Movie a 6/10.

I'm all for suspending belief but there are more plot holes in this film than a beginners knitted scarf. I doubt the producers/director have ever been to England as it couldn't have been more un-English if it tried. Wherever it was made I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Cotswolds and if this film was trying to emulate The Holiday it scores a big fail. The settings were all off for the English countryside and even the make-up was a miss. Whoever did make-up obviously forgot their kit and only managed to replace it with one slightly too orange eye shadow used on every female cast member. A very disappointing watch and one to miss now you have been warned.

I don't think this one was so bad. If I could give it a 6.5 I would do that. It wasn't Oscar quality for sure but there aren't many of these romcoms that come close to that anyway. It was passable fare for a Christmas movie and I very much enjoyed the scenery and all the shots of the lovely craft items - some of the glass ornaments were stunning. That was really well done. I am not British and I think that helped a lot because I didn't see the inauthenticities other reviewers were concerned about ( though I'm sure they are valid). As an American, I appreciated what I saw and enjoyed the overall feel of the whole movie.

Some of the acting was just okay but the actress who played Emma did, to me, seem to play the part as written - she started out fairly unlikeable but you warmed up to her, and as her backstory became more obvious, her character became much more likeable. Poppy Gilbert was, however the shiny light here. She reminds me of a young Emma Thompson and I liked her character from the beginning. All of the cast did their job of supporting the principals even tho most didn't get much air time.

I'd watch it again.

Appalling acting/directing/lighting/scenery. Actually went on line to see if it was filmed during Covid due to hair and makeup on the principal actors being so terrible and the lack of any customers at either market or pub. Surprised to see it was filmed in 23??

Acting was worse than 'Doctors' (terrible daytime soap on BBC that has recently Ben binned). Presumably very low budget. The main adverts were Andrew toilet tissue. There's some irony there..... Appreciate it may seem strange but occasionally watching something this bad, does make you realise there are good actors out there somewhere.

Good for a laugh though.

If you're after a good laugh you must watch this - it's so bad it's hilarious. Wish I could find an Xmas market in the UK that doesn't charge you for any purchases! The fact that any of the actors can keep a straight face throughout is worth a watch on it's own.

Anybody who doesn't know what the Cotswolds is actually like will be flocking there to sample Christmas!! In conclusion - paper thin plotline, cardboard acting, poor props, unrealistic storyline.

On the plus side, if you like plenty of hot chocolate and not paying for anything at your local xmas market, don't take it seriously at all and you will enjoy a very funny film.

Slightly different all-age friendly grown-up blended family storyline, albeit with a few boring tropes included (eg baking food fight) but the big problem is it really doesn't feel very British. For starters, the film needed to include more typical Cotswolds building shots / landscapes. This is a fairly relaxing watch - most of the drama is the back story, not much happens on-screen, so I can't believe they spun it out to 90 mins. However the relationships are uplifting - the generally get on well together, including current and ex wives. This movie could have been excellent, but it required more visuals and less explaining eg could have shown weather forecast and people ringing to cancel etc. The former would also have potential to improve the British feel with a map etc. Overall disappointing but mainly frustrating because the potential wasn't maximised.

I think this film was going for The Holiday vibes. It's harmless enough but honestly, if you're English it's really going to grate as it's pretty obviously not filmed here (the old cottage definitely isn't old, the pub doesn't look like anyone's local, we never get snow at Christmas etc). I guess cost came into. The actor playing the leading man Dylan looks bored senseless and the acting in general is a bit forced and wooden. The plot & love story isn't very convincing. Why the father has never taken the youngest daughter to America to meet her half sister didn't really make sense - why couldn't they have just gone in a school holiday? There aren't really any surprises here - maybe it will do well in other markets but I think most British people will be irked by the 'very English' just being, well clearly not!

All in, I'm not sure why I bothered and while I do like the odd cheesy movie, this one isn't really worth sitting through.

Why change the name to Christmas in the cotswolds ?? This cld have been filmed in the USA for the lack of englishness and cotswolds .. the house is obvs new and the xmas market is backdropped with nothing .. im not even going to watch this now for lack of quaintness. This is a insult to the cotswolds and to taste .. full of cheap decorations have any of the producers actually been to England .. even the blanket on their laps when the sisters chat is a cheap imitation... is the wedding being held in the market !? If u were planning a wedding you would have to see the venue.... Getting excited about 4 blank NEW brick walls ... disappointing and also rubbish acting dont bother.

This was absolute rubbish and an insult to Americans. It took two people to direct this drivel and they were too lazy to get an actress with a passable American accent? I knew this had to be made by Brits with the lack of authenticity so apparent in their portrayal of Americans. If the characters were actually appealing I would have overlooked these details and became involved in the story. I just couldn't though as the absurdities kept piling up. For instance, we're supposed to believe these half-sisters hadn't actually met in person before and the one sister never was curious enough to travel to London. Right, since even busy, successful Americans never fly to Europe. I want to once again acknowledge the fact that it took two directors to make this gem.

Bad writing, bad acting, bad production values. Neither of the "couples" had any chemistry.

Obviously not filmed in the Cotswolds. Or any place with scenery.

Interior lighting was too bright, including the pub. The lights in the cottage were painfully bright. Even the lighting in the bridal shop were glaring.

Costumes looked cheap and ill-fitting, especially on the extras at the wedding.

Were there not any American actresses available? The girl from Los Angeles looked like she'd never been touched by the sun.

Most importantly, what the heck was going on with the American mother's eyebrows? Seriously looked like they drew eyebrows on white paper, cut them out with wide margins, and stuck them on her forehead. Was that supposed to be some kind of statement about Americans being fake?

Channel 5 wanted to show this film and insisted on the title change to place it in the Cotswolds. Not the production team's plan, as it was filmed in Dorset by an English company, but funded and commissioned overseas (Canada, I think).

A small cast, sourced in the UK (hence a Welsh girl acting as an American and not importing an actress). Nice locations. The pub scene is very true to life, the decor of an Old English Inn at Christmas - could make people nostalgic.

Unfair to compare with big studio productions - small budget - light-hearted entertainment to fill schedules.

It is what it is. Made for off-prime time TV.

This movie had a good premise and a little different but I couldn't watch it all the way through. First of all there were the half sisters, one of which was getting married, she had a smaller sister as well, the older half sister, an events planner was going over to organise the wedding. She had never met her father's partner or the youngest half sister but was close enough to the older half sister to organise the wedding. The bride was about 25 and the youngest sister, probably about 12, so it seemed she wasn't that close!

The script and the level of acting was amateur dramatic level and absolutely no chemistry between any of the characters whatsoever. This was awful.

It didn't take me long to hate Emma. She is negative about everything. She even criticizes the hot chocolate gift from her sister. She really works at raining on the wedding parade, even after she learns Emma is pregnant. After a bit she mellows and gains enthusiasm for the wedding.

Amy is a little too cheerful, but at least it is a counter to Amy's negativity. I have to admit that I can understand some of Emma's frustration with Amy. I thought it was rude not to be home when she arrived. I half expected Emma's luggage to disappear when she walked away from it for a long time.

It's not unusual for the romantic leads to get off to a rough start, so check that off. I'm not sure who is trying harder to annoy the other. But like so many Christmas movies involving a wedding, the two are thrown together to plan it.

The acting is not great, not even the main characters. The relationship development should have been fun. I noticed that the dialogue between Emma and Dylan could have been playful as it was written, but it came off as not quite critical, but almost. But there is also some actual tension between them. Lewis Griffiths' delivery doesn't help. It lacks enough emotion. This really hampered the enjoyment of the entire movie. Eventually they seem to be hitting it off.

Most of the story tension comes from Emma trying to impress a potential client and by doing so seems to be betraying what Amy and Harry really want for their wedding. As for the relationship between Emma and Dylan, I just wasn't convinced that there was enough there.

All in all, the movie lacked the polish I am used to with Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. I just didn't enjoy it.

BTW: I have to give kudos for the text messages being large enough to read. Absolutely most movies that have text messages make them too small.

My dad was from the Cotswolds. Even though you don't see the scenery, the vibe of the Cotswolds isn't there and there are many ways it could have been.

Kimberley Nixon who plays Emma tried, but didn't do an American accent very well to the point it is distracting. I thought maybe she was partially deaf and that's why her accent sounded so weird. An actor with an American accent should have played the part.

Overall the acting is dry, but I think the screenplay and the story overall didn't give them much to work with.

This may be a British cast and crew with a basic story, but at least the set decor matches a typical Christmas movie.

I'm writing this as it's on.

It feels like the worst elements of all Christmas movies were note on cards, thrown in a hat and used as a guide.

Tedious and the performances are more stiff than Christmas lawn characters in the snow.

It won't exactly ruin your Christmas- but it'll probably make some sort of list of regrets that year.

SPOILER: It's likely that this movie will replace "coal in your stocking" as the punishment and cautionary tale for bad kids.

I think that there is an upside though- "A Very English Christmas" exists to make "A Very British Christmas" looks like a cinematic, Yuletide masterpiece.

A Very English Christmas/In The Cotswolds (2023) -

Why do the Brits sound so bad in these American attempts on this side of the pond? It all sounded so forced. And why was Kimberley Nixon as Emma pretending to be American, when it would have been so much easier just to have her based in London and actually English (As she is in real life). There was also something about her that meant she didn't even look like she was from the U. S. And who thought that wardrobe was the right choice for her?

Her character came to "The Cotswolds" (Eastbourne) to help plan her step sister's wedding with just a few weeks to achieve it and right before Christmas (Another farcical and ridiculous thing that these films are always trying to achieve - It's just not plausible). Whilst in the UK she met Dylan (Lewis Griffiths), the Best Man who was made to help her with the preparations and we all knew where it would go from there and exactly why they would fall out briefly towards the end, as they always do.

Neither of the leading pair had any appeal. He was the "Best Man" of the production, but that wasn't saying much. It seemed like they'd just picked him out of the supporting cast without actually giving him time to prep for the role. He was soulless and not particularly that nice. Like an awkward, unfriendly David Bowie and if I'm honest the wonderfully talented singer was not always the best actor either so. . . ? And how was he still struggling with his grief after 5 years??? They've got to stop making the losses so long ago, because it's just not as easy to believe as it should be for these types of stories. I know it's lighthearted fiction, but don't stretch the imagination too much. How many blokes do you know that would still be that mopey about anyone's death after half a decade?

He wasn't the only one that struggled to be realistic though. The pubs landlord Gerald (Russell Biles) was just so over the top, which didn't make up for Dylan's complete lack of enthusiasm in his own delivery. They were like two different ends of the spectrum and it clashed.

Kimberley and sister Amy played by Poppy Gilbert were the only ones that didn't make me completely cringe, although there were times with Kim. In my opinion Poppy should have been given the lead role, she was far more natural and a much better, nicer character.

On another day I could have easily turned it off and there was some serious consideration about doing so, because there was so much wrong with it.

The musical track was way too overpowering for the vocal track and actually the sound was very bassy overall.

Also the "Ale" that he wanted her to drink would not be considered ready for drinking by any brewery I've ever known.

And I really hate the way the British are portrayed as so twee and silly, all knitted jumpers and bad hair. Some of it was just positively embarrassing and it was full of all sorts of other nonsense too.

Amy wasn't far gone enough in her pregnancy to have back ache and a need for a chair either. The foetus must have been the size of a peanut!!

And the kids choir (Consisting of just 5) was not exactly the spectacle I had thought it would be when the talent show kids had to join the choir for the show to go on. The world's smallest singing group with the most minimal amount of additions. Did you think we wouldn't notice??

When it finally got to the wedding the vows were nauseating and not really necessary, a musical piece over a montage of a ceremony would have been far better.

Overall It was hard to feel the chemistry between the two leads and it wasn't even clear that they'd decided to be together before they snogged. Because there were no moments of falling off ladders and looking in to each other's eyes or anything, just a lot of talking and fallout. They might as well have been distant cousins meeting for the first time for all the emotion there didn't seem to be between them.

The one positive I did find was that some of the settings were very nice.

It was just about okay enough to watch all the way through, having caught me in a mood that didn't want to give up on yet another one, although I definitely had better things in the planner to watch, but it was nowhere near good enough for me to EVER watch it again.

3.59/10.