Movie Review
Ethan Greene buys a ring from the film's jewelry store intending to pop the question to Vanessa. Also, in the same store, Ethan and Gary accidentally swap matching shopping bags. Due to the mix-up, Vanessa ends up with a set of earrings that were obviously bought for Rachel, while Rachel ends up with an engagement ring bought for Vanessa.
Through all the turmoil, Rachel befriends Ethan and through their mutual attraction, they learn what true love is. The two leads' chance encounters and blossoming passion make for a semi-touching love story.
Opening Sequence
The stunning jewel-toned opening sequence brings to mind a timeless, dreamily elegant New York City during December. The place sparkles with Christmas decorations and crunchy snowflakes, Dean Martin sings "I've got love to keep me warm."
The feel-good, Christmas-themed rom-com features a fairy-tale plot. While the characters overcome significant dilemmas to discover love, the protagonists offer a measure of emotional relevancy. Therefore, the supposedly fairy-tale romantic drama between Rachel and Ethan seems to be rooted in reality.
Christmas Rom Com
The film has all the elements you might enjoy in a Christmas rom-com, including two attractive central characters about to experience changes in their relationship, two disagreeable spouses, and a boatload of in-betweens. However, the film falls short as there is no chemistry between the two protagonists and a compelling enough story to entice the audience to watch it.
Characters
One of the main problems with this modern rom-com, aside from the lack of chemistry between the leads, is its lack of compelling, multi-faceted characters. Everyone in this movie ends up being more of a concept than a real person. A chaotic hero, a toxic, negligent fiance, a single father with a big heart, a smart kid beyond his years, a supportive but sassy friend, and a fiance who is just plain incompatible.
The drama reflects themes of passion and friendship while addressing the beauty and excitement of Christmas as well as the approaching New Year. The film also tackles the fragile nature of relationships and reveals what it really takes for a relationship to thrive. However, the central characters are not given time to develop and the depiction of their relationship makes the film rather bland. The audience is waiting to see how the lovers will progress in their relationship. Unfortunately, viewers aren't given much time to learn about the couple and how they got to this point.
When it comes to secondary characters, the holiday movie lacks substance. The drama doesn't try to develop any of them beyond a single dimension. Furthermore, it doesn't spend time exploring the original spouses of the perfect couple, unless it's required to demonstrate that the characters are ignorant, selfish, cold-hearted, or some combination thereof. Gary's lack of sympathetic features makes him easy to overlook, but Vanessa doesn't seem to be bought. Yet it is ignored.
Leah Jeffries also plays her role well and understands the importance of making her role likable. Unfortunately, despite what both characters have been through, the father-daughter bonding sequences between Daisy and Ethan are few and ultimately feel shallow.
Simple Premise
In fact, Something at Tiffany's offers a fairly simple premise, which is somewhat comforting for being both predictable and a rom-com. New York is beautifully rendered, the holiday themed music is amazing, and Rachel's outfits are stunning. Unfortunately, due to the awkward silences and long pauses between the leads, as well as the apparent lack of chemistry between them, the film fails to extend this beauty to its screenplay and story, which is bland and lacking.
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