A Christmas Treat

Rating: Null/10 (23 November 2003)

This is a true Christmas Treat. Very funny and sweet and although it's sentimental to the max it's never vomit-inducingly so. The cast are all superb. Hugh Grant is his usual self, Martine McCutcheon is enjoyable, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson are more laid back, Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln are both good young stars whilst the film belongs to Bill Nighy as a foul mouthed rock star. Other performances also hit home from the likes of Martin Freeman, Kris Marshall, Colin Firth (more enjoyable than most of the time) and Laura Linney. Plus there are fun cameos from Ant and Dec, Shannon Elizabeth, Denise Richards, Michael Parkinson and Claudia Schiffer. The film is very funny and very sweet in equal measures. It focuses more on the romance than the comedy but the film is never lame or over the top. The film's main problem is the fact that there are too many stories so many of them don't get a lot of attention (especially Keira Knightley, Kris Marshall and Martin Freeman). But this more shows the director Curtis is getting across the point that there many different types of love to be told about but that love is a simple thing. Liam Neeson is the love of his son, Bill Nighy's shows the pleutonic love of his and his manager and then Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon show a love in odd places as does Martin Freeman in a strange way.This is a sweet and funny story that should warm the most cynical of hearts.9/10