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This Christmas (2007)

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30 out of 40 people found the following comment useful :-
This Christmas Movie Review, 21 November 2007

Author: joel massie (MoviePulse_dot_net) from www.MoviePulse.net

This Christmas looked like it was going to pass without any cinematic holiday cheer. Luckily audiences will find a special gift at their local multiplexes from Preston A. Whitmore, a filmmaker whose latest picture comes wrapped up with so much holiday mush that it would be hard for even the biggest scrooge to scowl at its spirited Christmas message It's the most wonderful time of the year again, and the Whitfield family plans to continue their holiday tradition of bringing the entire clan back home for a few days of presents, good eating and family squabbling. The only problem with This Christmas is that each of the children has brought more than just gifts. Absence without leave, surprise pregnancies, interracial relationships, cheating husbands and angry bookies are just a few of the surprises in store for the family's matriarch, Ma Dear, making it a Christmas that will either tear the Whitfield's apart or bring them closer than they've ever been before.

With This Christmas, Preston A. Whitmore successfully bounced back from his sophomore slump. The choice to "Crossover" into the holiday genre is a big move, though looking at the filmmaker's oeuvre, he seemingly defies categorization. Written with heart, This Christmas isn't just impressive for its well balanced drama and comedy. Its ability to transcend its targeted audience to become a holiday film that can be enjoyed by anyone who has ever experienced family dysfunction makes the picture a refreshing surprise.

With an all-star, African American cast including Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Idris Elba and the lovely Sharon Leal, Screen Gems certainly seems to be pushing the racial factor when marketing This Christmas. While this strategy will probably draw in adequate box-office receipts (See Tyler Perry's success), This Christmas will draw the majority of its fans next Christmas when it finds a wider audience on DVD.

Though many of the family's problems translate to touching and humorous bits of cinema, This Christmas ultimately suffers from one fatal flaw, too much conflict and no easy way out of it. There is so much going on, that the tidiest and most satisfying conclusion seems far too difficult to reach. It also seems that the character of Joe, played by Delroy Lindo, has the answers to everything. Able to pacify everyone from street thugs to the U.S. government in a single night, Joe gives Santa Claus a run for his money on this Christmas Eve.

However plausibility isn't the strong suit of the Whitfield family. There are plenty of nit-picky details audiences will pick up on that could easily take them out of the narrative. While viewers might scoff at bits such as buying the picture-perfect Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, the performances from the actors, tight editing and gorgeous cinematography will help get you through This Christmas.

If filmmakers should write what they know, then Preston A. Whitmore certainly knows Christmas and family far better than war or basketball. A solid holiday outing sure to please any audiences that comes across the film, Whitmore's well executed dramady should resonate far longer than This Christmas.

-Joe Russo

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18 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Very pleasant surprise!, 25 November 2007

Author: greedtx from United States

I went to this movie expecting a humorous funny slapstick black comedy. I was mistaken. It was a real look into families at holiday time. It had several story lines which were interesting to follow and the actors did an excellent job in carrying them out. There was some really good humor as well but I appreciated the drama and the real look into what so many of us experience. I don't know the names of the characters but I've seen many of them before and they have done good work. You're going to love the very end(after the movie) so don't leave! Granted we all want a warm good feeling Christmas movie and this one will certainly not disappoint! The only hint I will leave is don't miss the scene with the baby oil! Go see this!

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20 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
A Wonderful Christmas Surprise!, 25 November 2007

Author: Stacy Burnside from United States

It is unfortunate the previews for this movie are so low profile. I didn't know what to expect and wasn't sure I wanted to see the move, but my 16 year old saw it on Black Friday and told me the movie was excellent. He's usually into movies like Live Free or Die Hard, hated Dream Girls and thought American Gangster was "just okay", so I HAD to see what had him so excited about THIS film. I must say, he was dead on with this one. This movie was EXCELLENT! The script was well written, the acting was SUPERB, and nothing was left out of this movie, which everyone, irrespective of race, can identify with in some way.

I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate for my 7 year old, but I did not find myself cringe once and say to myself "I wish she hadn't seen that." There was very minimal use of profanity (I think the "d" and "s" words were thrown around a few times) and no sex...although Regina King did a couple of scenes in her underwear.

I just can't say enough about the solid acting done in this movie. Delroy Lindo, Loretta Divine, Idris Elba and Regina King did stellar performances (I've never seen any of them NOT perform well) and EVERYONE did a great job. Chris Brown showed us he is more than a wonderful singer and dancer. I look forward to seeing him in more serious roles like this one. I believe he has a lot of potential to be a serious actor.

There are just not enough good things I can say about "This Christmas." You have to see it for yourself. One of the best gifts I gave myself this year.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart..., 26 November 2007

Author: Tyy Tad from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Looking at the ads on television and realizing who is playing in this movie, it could be very easy to write this off as a Soul Food knock off that will quickly be forgotten. However, walking out of the theater after the two hour movie (complete with a random dance off for a finale that served as its closing credits), I realized that there was something more to this movie. It has a big heart and it's in the right place, even if the final product isn't as rewarding as It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story. Nonetheless, this is probably the best Christmas movie of 2007, even if that isn't in itself a big accomplishment.

This Christmas chronicles the days prior to Christmas at the Whitford household. The Whitford family seems to have a lot of family members, and what are the odds that every single person at the family has a secret that they are afraid of being found out? I'd say the chances are pretty good. I'll try not to spoil much, but the problems in the family are best detailed with a bulleted list.

We have: -A guy who hasn't spent a Christmas with his family in four years, as he's pursuing his dreams as a musician, much to the dismay of his mother, who worries that he is turning into his father. That connects to...

-A father who abandons his family to pursue a musical career. This connects to...

-The youngest son trying to hide the fact that he wants to be a singer so he won't break his mother's heart, as she's already dealing with the pain of two of her loved ones leaving her to become a musician. This connects to... (not really, but I don't like to break the chain) -A son that marries a white woman without telling his family while simultaneously being AWOL from the military.

-A daughter that is being cheated on by her husband while simultaneously thinking that she's better than everybody else in the Whitford household.

-A daughter that brings home her new boyfriend.

-Yet another daughter that is rather promiscuous.

-A mother trying to hide the fact that her boyfriend has been living with her for quite a while.

(If only I was able to tie all of that in with some kind of Christmas music...) Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, the guy who hasn't spent time with his family was stalked back to his mom's house by two bookies that are owed $25,000 from him. With a family that has that many problems, it's a surprise that the whole family aren't alcoholics.

Miraculously, the director/writer is able to chain all of these problems together so that each situation has a hint of closure by the film's end, even if it is done in typical Hollywood happy ending style. Still, This Christmas is pleasant and a sigh of relief in the midst of some of the other, inferior Christmas movies that contains no originality and no entertainment.

If I could say one thing about This Christmas, it's that you will walk away entertained.

Rating: *** out of ****

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13 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Good Times and Bad Times, 25 November 2007

Author: Shamontiel Vaughn from United States

Cons: I despised the movie "Waiting to Exhale" because I think women who destroy a man's property because she's mad that he's cheating on her is not only corny, but it's childish. There was an SUV scene in this movie that was beyond stupid to me, and I turned up my lip in disgust. Then there was another scene that annoyed me about a domestic dispute, but I heard women cheering during that part. For the life of me, I do not understand why ladies think it's funny for a man to be physically abused under ANY circumstances, but if a man does it, then it's wrong. That scene almost made me walk out of the theater because it's so hypocritical.

There were some plot scenes that were a little overused, such as the mother's name, the mother cooking big meals, the couple going through marital issues, and the one son being chased by bookies. After awhile, I started thinking the plot to this movie was a blend of several other movies I've seen. However, it's not like these plots are not common within African American households, so I shrugged and kept watching.

Pros: Chris Brown. Flat out, he made this movie interesting for me. Whereas Columbus Short was the highlight of "Stomp the Yard" and Chris Brown fell to the sidelines, Chris Brown really showed out tremendously within this movie. I liked him as a singer before, but I LOVE him as a singer now. He did a couple of songs within this film, and I've never heard his pipes be so on point. I was impressed and grinned big during every one of his scenes. He's such a great artist no matter what he does: acting, dancing, singing, comedy (he isn't a comedian, but he's hilarious). Other than Chris Brown, there were some stellar actors in this movie like Idris Elba (even with his rough hairstyle); Delroy Lindo (who gets more handsome and charismatic in every single movie I see him in and always an excellent actor); Laz Alonso (who played a jerk to a tea--great job!); Regina King (love her acting generally but did NOT care for her character in this movie at all); Sharon Leal (who I'm seeing more and more--she's such a pretty woman and does a great acting job as well); Keith Robinson (the pantry scene was cute); Lauren London (pretty woman and improving in every single movie she's in, although I think my favorite will always be "ATL"); Loretta Devine (who played a great mother, but I liked her spin with having a man and her own mind; her back story with her ex was a refreshing switch from the usual widow story); and David Banner trying out his acting chops. All of the actors were cool in this film. It was in Chicago, but it was looking awfully warm for the wintertime. I enjoyed the musical parts of the plot and all of the siblings got along. I also appreciated how they flipped the script on the white wife scene (although I won't go into that and ruin the plot).

I enjoyed the film, but those cons are what gave this movie three stars. Other than that, thumbs up.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A New Christmas Favorite, 17 December 2007

Author: justlikegrandma from United States

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! I watched this movie expecting it to be another movie making fun of us but instead I found it to be an enjoyable movie. I love the way it each character had real issues and real conflicts that affect real families. Regina King, as always, did an excellent job portraying a woman scorn that has had enough. This movie cannot be compared to any other movie out there because it offers something for everyone without nudity. Surely, everyone who watches this movie can relate it to themselves or someone in their family. Chris Brown rocked singing "This Christmas." He takes 2nd place with this song only to the original singer, Donny Hathaway. And who doesn't do the soul train line every once and a while?

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful family story thats pretty free of clichés, 27 April 2008

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Family drama of a(black) family coming together for the holidays. I mention the color aspect only because there is a moment where color plays a role, however color and race are really irrelevant since this is an excellent little family drama about the things that make us family-what ever our color. A strong cast that includes Delroy Lindo makes what is occasionally a clichéd story into something more universal. Frankly these are real people up on the screen and any cliché's reflect that life is something like that. Huge bonus points for the fact that there aren't really movie of the week problems or histrionics. Things happen, but the family takes it all in stride with out a great deal of gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes. I really like this movie a great deal and look forward to seeing the film again down the road. 8 out of 10 for making a truly universal family drama that is just good time with good people.(This is very much deserving of a longer better review but I haven't figured out how to explain the tapestry of the film with out making it sound petty or less than it is.)

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
There Were So Many Plots In This Movie That It Was Hard To Keep Up, 1 January 2008

Author: leighabc123 from Norfolk, Virginia

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I had to laugh at the fact that Loretta Devine played the family matriarch in this movie! It was never revealed to the family that she was still "married" to Senior while sleeping with Joe. Regina King's character waited too long to get revenge on that cheating husband. And why does someone always meet someone and fall in love instantly in the movies? We all knew that Quentin was going to come back at the end of the movie. And Chris Brown's character just happened to be singing at the club that all the siblings went to late at night. This movie couldn't be too bad with fly Lauren London, fly Sharon Leal, and Regina King in it. There were too many problems in this family. a corporal who went AWOL and married and got a white woman pregnant. A brother who owes bad guys $25,000 and gets beat up by them a lot. And many many more subplots!

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
great family film, 26 November 2007

Author: monstermayhem32 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Even though This Christams doesn't really have anything new to offer, it is still an interesting Christmas holiday film with a strong cast lead by Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Chris Brown, Sharon Leal, Keith Robinson, Regina King, and Mekhi Phifer. I thought that Chris Brown would only be used for sex appeal, but surprisingly he is actually a pretty good actor as Michael Baby Whitfield and steals the film with many one liners and good singing. Regina King is also pretty good as Lisa a neglected wife who is unhappily married to her husband Malcolm who is secretly cheating on her and blames her sister Kelly played by Sharon Leal for living her own life while Lisa took care of the family. Mekhi Phifer was pretty good as Kelly's love interest Gerald who is actually the childhood friend of eldest child Quentin Whitfield played by Idris Elba I would recommend this film as a good Christmas film that show the meaning of family.

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1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
do not go see it sucked!!!, 16 December 2007

Author: biomedical411 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This movie was titled as a "comedy" it was no such thing. My favorite part was toward the end when everyone came together at church throughout the whole 2 hrs movie, there were maybe 3 of 4 funny parts the rest do not go see!!!! not worth 8.50 wait for the DVD. They had too much arguing/family talks in it for it to be called a "comedy." It was a very strung slow pace movie with 90 secs of fast past Christmas related stuff in between. The dance off at the end was pathetic. I was lost throughout the whole movie. I know for sure my holiday's aren't anything like the one portrayed in this movie. I was almost ready to walk out because this movie was so bad. The directors need to go back to film school, and learn take film making 101.

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