Love the Coopers

Review: This will be the first in a long series of reviews that I do of Christmas movies I watched for the first time this year. If you read everything on my blog, firstly thank you! And secondly, I want to give you a heads up that I have an article coming out pretty much everyday leading up to Christmas. Just FYI. Stay tuned. Now to this review. This film tells the story of various members of a dysfunctional family trying to all get together for Christmas. The film received mostly negative reviews and is forgettable in the slew of Christmas films. Coming out in 2015, I haven’t heard anyone talk about it or never seen it mentioned on any lists, I only know it because it features a supporting role from a young Timothée Chalamet. If you’re really, desperately searching out a new movie to watch this holiday season then go watch this, but there are many other movies I would differ to.

High: Steve Martin’s narration was so good. He has such a smooth, comforting voice. It was just perfect here & my favorite part of the film, really being the anchor that tied all the stories together.

Low: The film was too crowded. I think movies with lots of storylines that intertwine can work (a la ‘Love Actually’), but this one was just convoluted. Also the ages of the different characters compared to their actors just didn’t make sense. Like Marisa Tomei should be Diane Keaton’s daughter not her sister, and there’s a couple of examples like that. The cast features Tomei, Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Jake Lacy, June Squibb, Alex Borstein, Anthony Mackie, Timothée Chalamet, & the voice of the aforementioned Martin, and I ask, does that seem like it would be too crowded? Yes? Perhaps because it is. I think it was an admirable go and the movie isn’t bad, but it’s just not going to be one I personally revisit.

Rating: 5.5/10