Holy Mess

Swedish Christmas comedy that might not work too well for foreigners, but for a Finn it provided enough familiar Christmas cliches to be relatable. A lot of the humor rises from the Swedish tendency not to offend anybody which creates awkward situations. The subject matter would be daring in a Hollywood comedy, but not so much in the Nordics. It's an enjoyable time waster, but could have used some trimming and more edge.

The dissolve of the nuclear family continues to be a fountain of narrative possibilities, but this one was just a bit too naive, too caustic, and too cold (...) to get through its difficult subject matter. Characters respond out of a screenwriter's assumption - not organically enough to propel the narrative, or warm anyone's hearts by the end.