Michelle Pfeiffer sustains toneless comedy

“A. Surreal. Christmas.” tries to reposition the Christmas genre, but comes up against excessive artifice and indecisive narrative

Prime Video’s new production, “One. Christmas. Surreal.“, directed by Michael Showalter (“An Idea of ​​You”), arrives in the catalog with the promise of offering an alternative to the Christmas films that dominate streaming in December. With Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface) at the center of the plot, the film presents itself as a comedy, family drama and reflection on motherhood.

However, as the narrative progresses, the film reveals tensions between ambition and execution. In this review, we see how the work articulates its themes, its structure and we understand whether Pfeiffer’s performance can sustain a project that oscillates between satire and sentimentalism.

The weight of motherhood at the center of “A Surreal Christmas.”

The film’s proposal is based on a consistent idea: to give protagonism to the maternal figure in Christmas cinema. Claire Clauster, played by Pfeiffer, expresses her discomfort at the beginning of the story when she wonders where the Christmas movies about mothers are.

It is from this premise that the film tries to build a different look at the affective and emotional backstage of the time, highlighting what often remains invisible. However, as the narrative progresses, the film demonstrates difficulty in reconciling this perspective with the comic structure and exaggerations typical of the genre.

The performance of Michelle Pfeifferhowever, keeps the film moving. Even though the script fluctuates, his presence guarantees emotional texture and dramatic consistency. The actress plays Claire as a woman who has spent years accumulating family responsibilities, and who, faced with her children’s neglect, reaches a breaking point.

The opening in which Claire confronts an unknown mother points precisely to this: Pfeiffer works the character with a mixture of silent exhaustion and internal conviction, something that recalls the performances that marked her career. In that regard, “One. Christmas. Surreal.” reaffirms his ability to extract depth from characters built for comical situations.

Excesses weaken the film’s dramatic potential

The central conflict, Claire wanting recognition after being nominated for the “Holiday Moms” contest, on the show hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria), could yield a refined analysis of family expectations and the appreciation of domestic work. However, the film prioritizes an escalation of absurd situations that weaken the dramatic impact.

Claire abandons her family, drives to Hollywood and tries to get on the show live in a journey that shatters any verisimilitude. The exaggeration could work as satire, but the narrative hesitates between farce and sentimentality, without fully committing to either.

The Christmas genre, especially in streaming, tends to operate between two traditions: the exaggerated family comedy and the narrative that calls for reconciliation. “One. Christmas. Surreal.” tries to combine the two, but this ends up depriving some of the intended dramatic force.

The script, written by Showalter and Chandler Bakerpresents good starting points, but fails to develop its implications organically. Claire’s transformation, for example, loses intensity because the character is driven by motivations that the film does not fully support.

Even so, the social criticism suggested in the work, regarding the invisibility of maternal work, finds resonance in several scenes. Claire’s relationship with her children reveals common dynamics in contemporary families: distance, divergent priorities and low perception of the effort of the person responsible for keeping the Christmas ritual going.

At times, the film seems about to delve deeper into this discussion, but it soon returns to physical comedy and fast-paced dialogue. This highlights the lack of a firmer aesthetic and thematic unity.

Pfeiffer’s performance shines, but the script hurts

Despite these inconsistencies, Pfeiffer’s performance remains the work’s gravitational center. She balances vulnerability and assertiveness, even when the script requires sudden changes in tone. The contrast between his interpretation and the instability of the material highlights the disconnect between intention and execution.

Chloë Grace Moretz, Felicity Jones e Dominic Sessa they also feature good participation, but their parallel plots do not advance enough to support the main arc. The question that remains is whether “One. Christmas. Surreal.” manages to sustain itself as a striking narrative within the genre.

The film presents promising moments, especially when it focuses on the protagonist’s emotional exhaustion, but quickly abandons this layer in favor of more spectacular and less coherent sequences. The comedy doesn’t achieve consistent impact and the drama doesn’t find enough room to develop.

The closure reinforces this contrast. Although Claire’s journey seeks reconciliation, a classic element of the genre, the build-up to this moment appears rushed and poorly integrated with the rest of the film. Even so, Pfeiffer’s presence gives some solidity to the outcome, articulating dignity and tiredness in his return to the family nucleus.

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Is “A Surreal Christmas” worth watching?

Or long does not redefine Christmas cinema nor does it reach the full potential suggested by the cast. But the performance of Michelle Pfeiffer It’s worth a careful look. For viewers looking for a critical reading of the role of mothers in family dynamics at this time of year, the film offers clues, although without full depth.

For those looking for a structured comedy, the result may seem uneven. In the end, “One. Christmas. Surreal.” is an ambitious project that doesn’t find its tone, but delivers a performance that holds the narrative until the last act.

Cover image: Alisha Wetherill/Prime Video

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