I think all of us have learned the Christmas-themed film
recipe by heart so far and such a movie is unlikely to hit us with surprises of
any kind. However, holiday season productions seem to benefit from outstanding
popularity even though they constantly repeat what he have heard and seen
before at least one thousand times. For instance, think about the box office
triumph of “Four Christmases.” The lackluster reviews did not stop it from
luring huge audiences into theaters. The secret? Family films always show up in
the right place and at the right time, thus avoiding the big black hole of
failure.
Action films or horror flicks may sometimes land during an
inappropriate period, such as the economic crisis, but comedies know their way
to the hearts of moviegoers. They just gather a couple of nutty families, make
them talk dirty and poke fun at each other and success is guaranteed.
In addition, if the Christmas tree draws one or two well-known
figures, the movie will definitely stir sensation.
Since “Nothing Like the Holidays” is too much like holiday season
comedies, the film makes no exception. When a not-very-close family gets
together for Christmas dinner, one can be sure that tradition leaves first. A
simple table gathering is presumably prone to become the scene of sibling enmity,
parental frustrations and broad-spectrum disappointment with… well, almost
anything.
What’s rather innovative about the movie helmed by Alfredo
De Villa is that the Rodriguez family is Puerto Rican and holds its Christmas
assembly in a Puerto Rican Chicago neighborhood. Therefore, you should expect
to taste some of the spiciest Latino attitudes out there, given the fact that
they won’t be quiet for one single moment.
Various figures and personalities enter the scene, beginning
with Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), the youngest son of the family who has just
returned from Iraq
and can’t put the war issues behind. Jesse’s older brother, Mauricio (John
Leguizamo) is the pride of the family and the apple of mommy’s eye. He is a Manhattan attorney who
can’t leave his suit locked in the closet even on Christmas Eve. What if it
gets all dusty?
Nevertheless, he is in trouble as well, since his wife,
Sarah (Debra Messing), does not want to have children, despite her
mother-in-law’s insistence.
The parents, Edy (Alfred Molina) and Anna (Elizabeth Peńa)
have issues of their own going on, particularly because their marriage seems to
worsen as time passes. Anna wants to leave her spouse due to a hunch regarding
his infidelity.
Although the rhythm is lively and sparkling, Rick Najera and
Alison Swan’s script is packed with characters and the film does not have
either the time or the resources to develop each subplot. The festive
sequences, nonetheless, are worth every laugh.
