“Christmas coup” on Netflix: the magic of Lindsay Lohan to the rescue of a mediocre script | REVIEW

Let’s be clear about something: it’s unlikely that your opinion of Lindsay Lohan’s level of acting will change after seeing “slam Christmas”, his most recent film on Netflix. We say it for better or for worse. The one and a half hour tape is one of the bets of the streaming chain to close a complex year in which it felt its competitors (Disney and its subsidiaries, mainly) breathe very closely in the war to gain subscribers in all the world.

One of the weapons to compete in this multimillion-dollar fight is, without a doubt, presenting an absolutely well-known face, capable of attracting audiences in different latitudes. This move, however, entails a series of risks, such as –for example– placing the protagonist above a good script, or at least a moderately convincing one. This could well be the case of the tape that we will try to comment on below.

Directed by Janeen Damian, “slam Christmas” presents the story of Sierra (Lindsay Lohan), the spoiled daughter of hotel magnate Beauregard Belmont (Jack Wagner) shortly after assuming the position of Vice President of Atmosphere, something that -by her own admission- is a strategy of her father to keep her close, perhaps aware that his only heiress has not yet been able to overcome the early loss of his mother.

As she prepares for this ‘twist’ (the single quotes are not in vain) in her life, Sierra has a rare romantic relationship with Tad Fairchild (George Young), a famous influencer who tries to capture on his social media accounts even what have breakfast Although gushing superficial, this character believes he is deeply in love with our protagonist, so he decides to propose to her in a special way. Here the accident occurs that causes Sierra to completely forget who she is, but, above all, she meets the third party: Jake Russell (Chord Overstreet), a boy with blond hair and light eyes who, while managing a humble but emblematic accommodation located in Summit Springs, seeks to support her daughter, the orphan Avy (Olivia Pérez) and her mother-in-law, Alejandra (A. Flores).

Up to here we have described the main characters of “Navidad de coup”. The film is clearly divided into two parts. Before and after the accident (20 and 70 minutes, respectively). If something is clear, it is that this first section is – beyond the presentation of the three main characters – expendable. No concern to delve into the relationship between Sierra and Tad, nor to show, from the other end of the story, Jake’s weaknesses being ‘father and mother’ to his youngest daughter.

Hosted at the humble Estrella del Norte inn, Sierra realizes step by step that she knows little or nothing about life. It’s when the protagonist tries to make her bed, clean a toilet or wash clothes in a washing machine and fails, that Lindsay Lohan displays her natural knack for her own humor. This kind of sketches may become very brief, but they allow air to be given to an incipient love story between a hard-working widower and a clueless girl that she doesn’t even remember her name.

For those who have followed Lindsay Lohan’s career more or less closely (and felt the slowdown almost a decade ago after various personal problems), find matches between the saw of “Christmas hit” and the roles that the 36-year-old actress of age he had in tapes such as “Confessions of a typical adolescent”, “Friday of crazy”, “Mean girls” and -much back- “Game of twins” will be something relatively easy.

One of the obvious weaknesses in this Netflix movie is the role of Tad, who after the accident ends four days “surviving” thanks to the help of a humble inhabitant of the area. So, while we see how Sierra and Jake begin to ‘click’ to the joy of Avy and Alejandra, the film intersperses small moments of the influencer suffering when learning about life beyond the luxuries he shares on Instagram. Far from making us laugh, this resource of repeatedly exposing him to hardship turns into a colossal setback.

There is another detail that affects “Navidad de coup” in terms of the credibility that is expected not from a masterpiece of cinema, but from a proposal that at least meets the minimum. Sierra and Tad are missing for 96 hours and no one is looking for them! Along these lines, when the magnate Beauregard Belmont returns from his trip and asks to see his daughter, his reaction upon finding out that she disappeared seems to mock the intelligence of the viewers.

Beyond everything mentioned in the last lines, the new Lindsay Lohan movie also has strengths. Strengths in its genre, of course: a romantic comedy with a Christmas spirit. The chosen location (snow in the background, an inn as old as charming), the external additions, such as the beautiful horse named Baltazar pulling a sleigh, is all one needs if you want to have a good time for 90 minutes.

Regarding the love story between Sierra and Jack, the balance is also correct. A few years after turning 40, Lindsay Lohan retains the gift of transmitting the noblest sensations on the screen. It occurs, for example, when she teaches Avy (Jack’s daughter) to style her hair correctly (“My mom always said that the worst knots untangle themselves if you give them a little help.”), or when he is able to remember (as if magically) his mother only by looking closely at a musical crystal ball. “Coup Christmas” is full of moments of this type and in no case do these seem to be superfluous.

From Jake’s side, although at times overshadowed by the strength of a co-star like Lohan, Chord Overstreet passes the assumed test with flying colors. The 33-year-old actor shows an evident evolution if we take into account his work as Sam Evans in the last seasons of the acclaimed “Glee”. Better diction and savings in gestures make his role as a distrustful widower when a new love appears convincing.

In the bottom line, “slam Christmas” is a typical ‘blockbuster’ for the Christmas season. Its argument is weak, but denying it its ability to move at key moments in the plot would be unfair. Just one day after its premiere, the film was already leading the ranking of the most watched on Netflix. Under this parameter, the objective is fulfilled. Now, if the film will become one of the great Christmas products ‘Made in Hollywood’, the answer goes the other way.

HIT CHRISTMAS/ NETFLIX

Director: Janeen Damian

Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young

Synopsis: After losing her memory skiing, a spoiled heiress ends up in the care of a hapless widower and his daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.