PopcornReel.com Movie Review: "This Christmas" (Sony Pictures/Screen Gems)

Family Fun, With Plenty Of Laughter, Love, Frolic And Detour For The Holiday Whitfields

The Popcorn Reel Movie Review: "This Christmas"

By Omar P.L. Moore/November 27, 2007

We Are Family: The cast of the entertaining holiday film "This Christmas", written and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II. The film grossed a very strong $25 million in its first five days in release in North America last week, to finish second, playing on half as many screens as the top film "Enchanted". "This Christmas" also had the highest per-screen average of the weekend of the top ten films over the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. (Photo: Suzanne Tenner/Sony PicturesScreen Gems)

Preston A. Whitmore II rings the holiday season in loudly and with great enthusiasm in "This Christmas" a drama full of comedic moments and lighthearted-ness. The film brings together some of the best ensemble players, headed by the Whitfields' matriarch Loretta Devine, a treasure here as Ma'Dere - she is the sole reason to watch this sweet film - and Idris Elba - who's had a busy year on the big screen -- "Daddy's Little Girls", "The Reaping", "When Will I Get Married?", "American Gangster", to name a few - lends an edginess and charisma to the proceedings, with Regina King an occasional scene stealer -- and she models the living daylights out of underwear as viewers will attest. Delroy Lindo is Joe Black, the man who has been in Ma'Dere's life for at least four years now, which is as much time as Quentin (Elba) has been away. Quentin disregards Joe as a stepfather, and even as the tension percolates between them, they never know when they will need each other.

There are other plot threads in this hearty entertainment, including Michael "Baby" Whitfield (the singer Chris Brown), who wants to sing for a career, something that Ma'Dere will voice strong objection to. There are a litany of secrets within the family, and not even a big turkey with all the trimmings will prevent secrets from being kept, though episodes and coincidences will predictably have the secrets and the unspoken spilling out in the Whitfield clan, including one family member's interracial marriage and something extra to boot. The music keeps the film lively even if there are occasional moments where music isn't needed to gather that there is a lot going on in "This Christmas", a film of efficiency, if not economy (the vigorous and fun-loving ending could perhaps have been trimmed by a minute or two), a film that makes for a picture perfect Christmas card of chemistry and celebration on celluloid.

Mr. Whitmore, who also wrote the film's screenplay, does well enough to keep things going, with Ms. King and Mr. Elba having some signature moments. But it is Ms. Devine who gives the movie its center and foundation. It is she who injects life and love into the film, and of all the participants -- and there are quite a few, including Ms. Devine's "Dreamgirls" film co-stars Sharon Leal and Keith Robinson -- Ms. Devine is having the most fun, and you'll have fun watching her and "This Christmas".

"This Christmas" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for comic sexual content and some violence. The film's duration is one hour and 57 minutes. "This Christmas" also features Mekhi Phifer and the amazing Lupe Ontiveros, and opens this weekend in the United Kingdom and numerous other countries in December.

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