Two strangers Jen and Rob both have truly horrific times on Christmas Eve and find themselves stranded in the Scottish Highlands, agreeing to work together in an attempt to get back home for Christmas.
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Lost at Christmas is the first Christmas film set in Scotland and it certainly is a fantastic setting. A remote town of Fort William which is in the western Scottish Highlands. Based on a short film from 2015 named Perfect Strangers.
The pair both with horrendous Christmas Eve experiences where they actually felt they would be extremely happy. Rob with a rejection to a proposal from his long time girlfriend and Jen finding out her boyfriend of five years wasn't everything he claimed to be meet in a rather dramatic fashion at a train station. Both feeling extremely emotional and attempting to come to terms with the events which happened to them only hours before. Now wanting to make a last minute attempt to get home and be with their families on Christmas Day, something with all the snow was always going to be a difficult task.
Borrowing a car from Jen's ex-boyfriend. well that is at least what Rob believes to begin with, although a flash car in the snow was never ever going to end well. This then sees them having to abandon the car and move on foot finding an inn to stay the night.
I found everything about the film to be wonderful and that is due to the fact that it felt realistic and doesn't force over festivity upon us. It highlights that it is perfect ok to feel alone around Christmas time and that you don't have to force yourself to suddenly be happy for this one day. I actually felt like this Inn would have been a great place to actually escape from Christmas!
It manages to avoid the usual cliches that we find in Christmas films and that was extremely refreshing and reassuring to watch. We have more than enough films like that and this dared to be different with a rather unique approach. Don't get me wrong it does get sentimental but not over the top by any means. More for one person to give Jen a little bit of a happy moment or two.
Within the Inn we are introduced to a few different characters all with different reasons for wanting to escape to the highlands and that certainly adds so much more to the story. Allowing people to really relate to the characters and that we all have baggage and sad moments. Often this is then related to Christmas.
The pace of the film was perfect and it has some fantastically amusing moments mixed in with the more serious moments and it works in the best possible manner. This was impressive and keeps your throughly engaged from start to finish. The performances are lovely with the leads and supporting cast working so effortlessly together to create such an amazing atmosphere.
Natalie Clark was great as Jen showing that she still had hope despite the truly awful Christmas Eve she had, given that it made her feel foolish for the previous five years. But for her Christmas had something that could make her feel just a little bit better. Kenny Boyle was also great as Rob, giving a very realistic character and showing how at times you do things for those around you rather than yourself.
Lost at Christmas will be released in UK cinemas on 4th December 2020 and on Digital from 7th December 2020.
