The first A Christmas Kiss is about two people who share an exciting and mysterious kiss in an elevator and subsequently fall in love. The second Christmas Kiss is basically the same premise but with a different cast of characters. Did you know that "magical kiss in elevator" is a whole romance sub-genre? It definitely is. This one featured Jenna, the hardworking personal assistant to the editor of a fashion magazine.
The problem is that the guy she kisses is awful. He is her boss's brother who co-owns the magazine but has previously shown no interest. He is a self-absorbed, lazy, playboy. He is also already engaged to someone else. But after this magical kiss, he immediately starts bothering Jenna. Since he is also technically her boss, he abuses that fact by asking her to show up at his house or come to the office on the weekend when he is the only other person there. Rattled and creeped out, she enlists her friend and next door neighbor Sebastian to play her fake boyfriend --because men who won't respect a woman telling them "no" may respect another man's previous "claim" on that woman.
Sebastian is played by Jonathan Bennett aka Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls. Pretty faced, dark-eyebrowed Aaron Samuels. He is charming and supportive, and more than happy to play the fake BF. When the awful dude first sees them together (having great chemistry and a genuinely good time together) he is like "oh crap, she really DOES have a boyfriend. She is never this happy and relaxed around me!"
For a brief moment, this movie seems like it is going to be really good. The elevator kiss guy is turning out to be garbage, whereas Aaron Samuels/Sebastian seems to respect and value Jenna as a person. The "best friend who has been there all along" is a common rom-com trope, but not when the main character has had a meet-cute with someone else. Maybe, just MAYBE a magical moment with someone doesn't excuse bad behavior.
But then...the awful guy keeps at it and Jenna starts to...be into it? And we start seeing less of Sebastian? HELL TO THE NO. Seeing I was getting increasingly agitated, Olivia did some googling and confirmed that the movie does end with Jenna getting together with the terrible guy.
(This image is from a different movie but you get the idea)
Look, I don't expect super enlightened gender politics from romantic comedies. But in this #MeToo era it hit a particular nerve to show a wealthy and inconsiderate white guy harass a subordinate at work and have it sold to us as a romance.
Rating: NONE. We choked on our cheese and wine while watching.
Hot Men: WHY would you 1) Hire Aaron Samuels 2) Give him a leading man name like Sebastian 3) NOT MAKE HIM THE ROMANTIC LEAD and then 4) Cast the smarmiest possible guy to be the actual romantic lead.
THIS IS THE FACE OF THE PATRIARCHY
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