I am always on the look out for a Christmas film that can become a perennial favourite. Sadly, Boxing Day is not that.
Actor turned writer Melvin (Aml Ameen, who also directs and co-writes) returns to his native London from America, where he fled to when his parents broke up a couple of years previously. He brings his fiancé Lisa (Aja Naomi King) with him although none of his family know about her. She clashes with Melvin’s ex, Georgia (Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix), who still has feelings for him.
The love triangle at the centre of the film is uninspired. Ideas from other, better, films, most obviously Love Actually, are re-hashed. It is hard to warm to Melvin, Georgia or Lisa, as good as King is in the role, so I totally lacked investment in the situation. I have little idea about Pinnock’s musical ability. She delivers a couple of songs here and seems fairly average, but she certainly is not an actress.
Much more interesting is Shirley’s (Melvin’s Mum) tentative relationship with a white guy. It would have been a better film concentrating on that storyline and Marianne Jean-Baptiste is terrific as Shirley.
The rest of the supporting characters are, though, either annoying or cliched.
A missed opportunity.
Rating: 5 out of 10