Almost Christmas

Almost Christmas follows a series of predictable twists, that doesn't negate its charm.

You can't fault the film for its efficiency. Each of these idylls is threatened by a problem that will be solved within a reasonably tidy running time.

Aside from the traditional spaghetti set-up of conflicts that will unfurl and be resolved with good cheer around the turkey, David E Talbert's film has a rather moving backstory about the death of the family matriarch the previous year.

Almost unbearable would be a better title.

Movies where a large family gathers to celebrate Christmas only have to nail one scene, and Almost Christmas does, more or less.

If the cast is willing, I'm sure other Meyers family reunions will follow, although none is likely to be as sweet as this sugar plum.

Almost Christmas isn't a brilliant film, though it's an entertaining and satisfying one.

When Talbert allows his cast to let loose and have fun, that affection reverberates from the screen. When he decides to dial it back and take things seriously is when we run into trouble.

You'll get through this movie and laugh a little but really going with the cast that's there you should be laughing way more.

Warmly familiar and not without a notable degree of poignancy, it's disappointing to see glimpses of the strength this scenario and cast could have commanded if Talbert's script didn't circulate almost exclusively in obvious beats.