“People ask me why I don’t like Christmas. It’s simple – I was born on Christmas.” The opening narration comes courtesy of a one Jorge (Leandro Hassum) and reflects the detailed exposition of the Netflix December 2020 release “Just Another Christmas.”
The Brazilian actor, comedian, and filmmaker Hassum is a big star in South American entertainment. As Jorge, we get a character that is fairly well developed. Jorge is a loving family man with beautiful wife Laura (Elisa Pinheiro) and cliché vibrant and quirky extended family. The opening sequence does a good job of explaining Jorge’s dislike for the holiday and reveals why the catalyst for the movie – a time loop that keeps him permanently waking up on Christmas morning – is his worst nightmare.
“Just Another Christmas” is a fruitcake combination of the infamous “Groundhog Day” and the lesser known holiday treat “12 Dates of Christmas.” It’s a comedy by design but there are some pretty emotional parts as well. The hot locale for where the movie is set (I’m guessing some large city in Brazil) doesn’t do it any favors for the holiday movie traditionalists.
Like the aforementioned (and slightly overrated) “Groundhog Day,” “Just Another Christmas” gets a bit repetitive about midway through. Hassum is hysterical in a buffoonish sort of way. And like the immature child that I am, I laughed hysterically at the pretty bad and highly distracting voice dubbing of the characters. It was like watching a Christmas Godzilla movie.
Jorge’s family was a bright spot for the seasonal festivities. His brother who always asks for money to fund get rich quick schemes and his in-laws who constantly pass judgement are the types of additions that most of us can relate to in some way or another. Beautiful Brazilian actress Danielle Winits plays a comical ancillary character.
“Just Another Christmas” is a decent watch. It has good humor – both scripted and unscripted – and an outlandish plot that gets a bit dry and somewhat confusing as it progresses. I enjoyed it, though it won’t get a second watch.
