Your Christmas or Mine? Review : Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk’s romcom is a charming festival treat

 STORY: Months into their relationship, young lovers—Hayley Taylor (Cora Kirk) and James Huges (Asa Butterfield)—are forced to be apart for the holidays until they decide they need to be together but are separated by a goofy circumstance.

REVIEW: 'Your Christmas or Mine?' follows Hayley and James, a young couple who are madly in love. On Christmas eve, they both board their own trains to their hometown. The thought of being apart, on the other hand, drove them to make an impulsive decision to surprise each other by boarding the other person's train! They end up at each other's houses, unsuccessfully attempting to strike up a conversation with the other's families, whom they've never met before (still a bit early, as they know each other for just two months).

Out in the country, Hayley learns that James is actually Hubert James, and that he is also extremely wealthy, as his father (Alex Jennings) is the Earl of Glumfertster. Meanwhile, in the city, James discovers that Hayley's family is boisterous: her two younger brothers attempt to mug him outside, her father (Daniel Mays) drives an obnoxious ice cream truck, her grandparents grump around and her aunt is insane and flirts with him. Unfortunately, a winter storm prevents them from further travel. Thus, the chaos begins.

Except for the initial twist or rather impulsive decision of the lead pair, Jim O'Hanlon's film is fairly predictable. It does, however, have some delightful parts to savour. The film is content to remain within the confines of its genre. The plot, on the other hand, never changes gears and takes its time getting to the climax. It creates a festively snowy setting for its characters to get to work on not being as annoying as other characters in similar films. The visuals are simply stunning (cinematography –Gavin Struthers) and fulfilling music (Paul Saunderson) make it a delight to watch.

From their landline conversations to other adorable moments, Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk make an endearing couple on-screen. However, when they are together, those scenes are few, leaving viewers wanting to see them more. The rest of the cast has played their parts well.

Overall, ‘Your Christmas or Mine?’ is a joyous film that doesn’t reinvent the holiday rom-com. But it's worth watching this 95-minute film to stir up the magical Christmas spirit.