Cupid for Christmas (2021)

Director: Blayne Weaver
Writer(s): Patricia Harrington
Starring: Melanie Stone, Ryan Carnes, Natasha Behnam and Richard Kind

Every holiday season, amongst the sea of mindless, soul-crushing drivel, there is a movie that stands head and shoulders amongst its peers. A movie that somehow actually manages to create a sense of wonder about the holidays. This year, it’s Cupid for Christmas. (Okay, so technically it was made last year; I meant in terms of our holiday viewing seasons.)

Even the plot is a little weird: Ruby (real name: Cherub Valentine) is Cupid’s apprentice. The problem is, she’s pretty terrible at her job, as evidenced by the opening scene: In an attempt to make two people fall in love, she inadvertently hits the wrong person with her arrow, leading to a barroom brawl.

Cupid, played by the affable Richard Kind, is understandably appalled. He wants to retire, and sees Ruby as his replacement, but fears she’s too kindhearted for the role. So he gives her one final chance: If she can make “unmatchable” college professor Charlie fall in love by Christmas Eve, she gets the job. If not, chances are that job goes to Philomena, a much more adept assistant who wants the position just as much as her colleague.

Cupid for Christmas is full of refreshing revelations. Chief among them? Ruby never hides her powers, or ulterior motives. This is something that hinders not just Christmas movies, but movies across multiple genres. How annoying is it when characters keep their magic a secret, even from the people closest to them? Ruby is upfront with Charlie from the beginning, even going so far as to reveal the lingering promotion that’s the sole reason for her interest. Hell, she even disappears in front of bewildered strangers.

But that’s not all: She enlists the help of the students in one of Charlie’s classes to help her find a match for the lovably awkward professor. They are mocking, but well-intentioned: They know there’s potential hidden somewhere underneath the awkward and clumsy. It’s just a matter of bringing it out, something no one has been able to do. Once again, she’s up front about her intentions, and doesn’t even hide her magical abilities from them.

The strength (or weakness, as the case may be) of this type of movie is in the characters, but that’s only one area where Cupid for Christmas shines. The two leads are attractive and have some believable chemistry together, which plays a big role. But they’re also surrounded by characters who are more fleshed-out than the average holiday rom-com supporting cast. Take, for example, Ruby’s relationship with Philomena. While it could have become a heated competition given their want to replace Cupid, it never becomes mean-spirited or even competitive. Sure, Philomena attempts to sabotage Ruby’s efforts once or twice, but it’s lighthearted, playful, and clearly played for laughs, with no trace of malice.

The students are also given their own unique personalities. They’re pretty much all the standard stereotypes - the stoner, the crazy girl, the gay guy, etc. - . On more than one occasion, the interplay between Ruby and the students reminded of “A.P. Bio”, the underrated sitcom starring Glenn Howerton (of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fame). They’re real, to the point, and give off the same silly vibe. But at the end of the day, all they want is to see their professor happy.

Obviously, it is a Christmas movie at heart: It still has its fair share of predictable scenes. But I have to confess it kept me guessing on more than a couple occasions; I wasn’t even entirely sure how the ending would play out, until the final ten or so minutes. Others - like my wife, who didn’t buy my myriad theories on possible “shock” endings - might not have such a hard time. But the way the movie consistently shuns familiar tropes had me opening my mind to dozens of out-of-the-box possibilities.

It might not explore any of them, but that doesn’t change the fact that Cupid for Christmas is an unexpected delight. It’s a unique (well, as “unique” as these formulaic affairs can be) holiday rom-com that derives glee from stomping on many of the expected tropes of the genre. And, in doing so, avoids many of the pratfalls of its peers. Yet it’s also intelligent enough to know when to stick to the formula, delivering an ending that will appeal to holiday purists.

It might not remind you how special the holidays are, but it will remind you that there are decent holiday movies out there, after all.

ENTERTAINMENT RATING: 9/10

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