If you like a festive British romcom, then ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ may well be your cup of tea. It follows a traditional storytelling formula and offers viewers a Yuletide setting and a feel-good vibe. It’s a cosy way to spend an hour and a half.
Emma Holly (Tamla Kari) is career-focussed with a big opportunity ahead of her. Fate intervenes to make her realise that what she wanted in life wasn’t really what she needed. Suddenly unburdened by the demands of work, she heads home for the holidays for the first time in years. Her father Ben (Colin Baker) is delighted to see her, but the welcoming inn that he runs isn’t bustling with guests and decorations, and it’s not been the same since her mother died. Emma realises that she’s been away from home for far too long, and that she’s arrived just in the nick of time to save her old man’s business.
Or has she? The fly in the ointment is that another career high-flyer, Oliver (Kevin Leslie), has been dispatched by his Scrooge-like boss Larry (Philip Martin Brown) on a fact-finding mission to get close to the family. His brief is to persuade Ben to sign over his failing business to property developers. They want to flatten it and turn it into a dreary conference centre. But when Oliver has a few random encounters with Emma, the sparks of mutual attraction fly. Then she invites him to stay at the inn… It’s the perfect way for Oliver to report back to his boss. But when his feelings for Emma deepen, Oliver finds himself stuck in a dilemma, torn between his loyalty towards his employer and his burgeoning love for Emma.
There is a good moral heart to the story, and a delightful subplot involving a romance between Ben and local cafe owner Molly (Anita Dobson) adds an extra layer of charm and sweetness.
The plotting of ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ is well-signposted. It’s easy to guess every single story beat by the time you’re ten minutes into the film. It’s fair to say there are no surprises at all. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Romcoms can afford to lean on staples much more than most other genres, and part of the appeal is that they are undemanding, operating instead like a warm, uncomplicated, soothing comfort blanket. You know exactly what you’re going to get and that’s part of the appeal.
That said, the film does have a few central weaknesses that can be levelled against it. Primarily, Lisa Chapman’s script could have done with one more draft, or perhaps some polishing by a script editor. Characterisations are painted in the broadest of brushstrokes. The most obvious example is Oliver’s boss Larry (Philip Martin Brown), who is so beyond redemption he comes across as if he’s a gang lord in a Guy Ritchie film. Again, this isn’t necessarily a problem if the rest of the film is executed in the right way. Sadly, the dialogue is never anything but “on the nose” and mechanical, to the extent that there are times when the actors struggle to sell it. The old adage that you can’t make a good film out of a less-than-perfect script holds true. I found this the biggest obstacle to overcome. But if you can lose yourself in the story and believe in the characters, then there’s every chance you’ll enjoy this film. I suspect that the sub-par script will take some viewers out of the story, and that’s a shame as the plot is engaging and well-structured.
Performances by the leading actors are enjoyable. There is an on-screen chemistry between Tamla Kari and Kevin Leslie. Both deliver sympathetic and credible characterisations. The moments that most sparkled for me were when Colin Baker and Anita Dobson shared the screen. ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ can be commended for incorporating a later-in-life romantic storyline, and the two veterans know exactly how to warm viewers’ cockles. Their characters in this film are a far cry from their most famous roles as the brash and colourful Time Lord in ‘Doctor Who’ and as Angie Watts in ‘EastEnders’, forever rowing with Dirty Den. ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ gives both actors the chance to prove their versatility. A few of the supporting performers were not quite up to the standard of the leads. Particularly in the scene-setting moments early on, bit-part actors oversell their lines as if they’re more used to performing on stage.
The final positive about ‘Christmas at the Holly Day Inn’ is that the directors deserve credit for ensuring its modest budget goes a long way, and the atmosphere of the festive season is captured with authenticity on screen. If you love Hallmark-style Christmas movies, then spending an hour and a half with this one curled up under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate may well raise your Christmas spirits. There is certainly an audience out there for the film. It isn’t the best example of the genre, but it tells a good enough story and has enough appealing performances to find its niche.
Cast: Tamla Kari, Kevin Leslie, Mark Arnold, Colin Baker, Anita Dobson, Philip Martin Brown Directors: Monika Gergelova, Adam Wilson Writer: Lisa Chapman Duration: 85 mins Released by: 101 Films Release date: 6th November 2023
