Of course she'll meet him again, and she doesn't even have to exert any effort to look far, because all of these movies seem to take place in a bubble consisting only of eight people. As it turns out, the man is the boyfriend of her controlling boss, Ms. Ward! Just so there's nothing like complex feelings or emotions to sort out, it's clear that Ms. Ward is only using him for his social status, and is too focused on how a marriage to him could increase her exposure.
This becomes even more apparent when the man (who I'll just keep nameless because, in these movies, it's the male who's the meat) comes to Ms. Ward with a request: that she design a holiday-themed party for his organization's fundraiser. Of course, this is a problem for the controlling, materialistic woman, who doesn't know the first thing about him; naturally, he is disappointed in her ideas. But like all manipulative women, Ms. Ward has no limits to the lengths she will go to keep what she wants, and before you know it, she's claiming the creepily-personal plans that Wendy drew up, as her own!
The familiar-yet-still-ridiculous premise, and insanely meek lead woman (I think at least 60% of the final 40 minutes of the film's running time consists of friends urging her to reveal to him that she was the designer of the plans, while she inexplicably—and maddeningly—finds reasons not to) should hint at a movie that should be avoided at all costs. But you know what? Like the impossible odds faced by the characters in these kinds of movies, this one is actually enjoyable (at least, for what it is).
Laura Breckenridge is beautiful as Wendy, and while her character is a wimp, she still shows off a diverse range of acting chops, nailing the requisite crying scenes with believability and gusto, while maintaining a level of innocent charm that still makes you like her (or, at the very least, not hate her) no matter how dumb she is. Meanwhile, Brendan Fehr as the leading man might not have the effortless looks of his leading lady (no, he's not at all ugly; I just mean he's not what most women would consider “beautiful” at first glance), but wins over the audience with a great balance of charisma and cockiness that blends perfectly with Wendy's hapless romantic. Together, their chemistry is undeniable: this doesn't feel like most romance films, where you only want to see them get together because you know they will and they should, but because they generally seem to want to.
Lastly, even Elisabeth Rohm as the domineering boss—a character that I would normally despise for all the wrong reasons—is perfect, delivering her demeaning, over-the-top lines with such relish and gusto that you'll find yourself laughing at them, despite how unbelievably cold and exaggerated they are. It all comes together to form a movie that is better than it has any right to be, and that should be required viewing for fans of mindless holiday romances.
RATING: 7.5/10
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