Christmas as Usual brings two different cultures together as Jashan visits Thea’s family in Norway and comes to grips with her family traditions. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Story
Jashan and Thea are in a happy relationship and Jashan proposes to Thea a few weeks before Christmas. She invites him to celebrate Christmas with her family in Norway to get to know them and her past a little better.
Thea’s family is surprised to see that her boyfriend is Indian, and Jashan takes a while to come to terms with Thea’s family traditions and the weather in Norway.
A tense couple of days leading up to Christmas forces both of them to look deeper into their relationship and come out stronger despite their cultural differences.
Performances
Kanan Gill is lovely as Jashan who is essentially playing himself. He’s charming and funny and his observations come across much like his stand-up material. He doesn’t have to do too much of the dramatic lifting but he still impresses.
Ida Ursin-Holm plays Thea, and she certainly has to be more expressive and exhibit a wide range of emotions. She does much of the heavy lifting in the film and is a step above her co-star.
Marit Andreassen does well as Anne-Lise, although it would have been more entertaining if she leaned into the nervous mother stereotype.
Positives
The pure white snowy landscapes contrast well with the bright red interiors of Thea’s home. This film takes the Christmas color palette and runs with it wholeheartedly.
The clash of cultures is humorous and authentic in equal measure. Many of Jashan’s queries about the traditions are legitimate and not quite far-fetched which makes him a vessel for the audience.
Negatives
The Indian side of the cultural differences isn’t as represented and the scales of the narrative are certainly tipped to one side. There could have been a little more exploration done with Jashan’s side in the film.
The entire premise is approached on a surface level with Jashan and Thea not necessarily going through serious obstacles, which makes the emotions toward the end slightly uneven.
Verdict
Christmas as Usual is a regular holiday rom-com with a sweet story and some nice performances but it joins a trove of titles within that genre that don’t necessarily make a mark. People from the two respective cultures might enjoy it a little more specifically, but apart from that it’s an average film with not too much to be expected from it.
Christmas as Usual review: A pleasant, unspectacular holiday rom-com
Director: Peter Holmsen
Date Created: 2023-12-06 13:30
2.5