I hated it muchly! Unbelievable plot, acting, etc. Leading lady spends entire movie disagreeing and at times hate the leading man, yet she accepts his proposal? Every time LL texted her dead mother and said I love you muchly I wanted to throw something at the tv.

'Christmas Wedding Planner' was another one of the films seen to broaden my horizons when it comes to festive films, wanting to see something different from the classics and the festive films and specials grown up with. With Christmas having just passed am aware of being late to the party in reviewing it, but that's what a long to watch and review list and family time does to you. Just to say, these thoughts come from someone who didn't read any reviews before watching and only read just a few to see if others felt the same way as me. We were on the same page on this front.

Always aim to be a fair, generous and perceptive reviewer, always trying to see the good in the bad. Have gone against critical consensus before while still being respectful, and have in the past defended (though in all fairness when much younger with not as broad knowledge of film) fillms that had some of what 'Christmas Wedding Planner' has been criticised to pieces for. The lowest possible rating is not an often given out rating recently, compared to many reviews written recently have actually given out it the least. 'Christmas Wedding Planner' however is one of the most deserving recent recipients of it, having every single thing that the rating is reserved for. It is one of those films that didn't try in most areas and actually found myself feeling insulted and embarrassed during and after watching it, one of those films that made me want to stop watching before the halfway mark but carried on in order to be fair to it and have made it a personal rule in watching films all the way through and not judging them until doing so.

It has one very minor redeeming merit, which is Kelly Rutherford trying very hard with a one-dimensional and derivative character saddled with cringe-worthy dialogue, shallow behaviour and having limited material. She is not really enough however to save 'Christmas Wedding Planner' from total disaster with her being used so poorly.

The rest of the acting however is intolerably awful, with two leads (especially Jocelyn Hudon) that had no real comic timing or charm and instead irritated. The comic timing just isn't there throughout the cast, neither is the chemistry (which is so stilted and robotic) and the lines are delivered with no passion or enthusiasm. Almost as if they knew the material was bad, and goodness wasn't it bad and that is an understatement, and just gave up trying to do anything with it.

Despite really trying not to excuse the acting being this bad, it would have been hard to do anything with or be invested in such bland and annoying characters and a script that single-handedly makes 'Christmas Wedding Planner' a serious contender for the cheesiest, corniest and stupidest scripts in the history of festive films and in recent memory. Can handle in some way some cheese and corn, even enjoyed films and television have moments of them, cannot handle it when the cheese and corn, as well as the schmaltz and silliness, is so over the top it's painful. You would also be hard pressed in finding a festive film this mind-numbingly ridiculous, predictable or uninteresting, the overlong scenes (some feeling like padding) and less-than-comfortable pauses really making it plod to interminable heights.

Many of the situations are hopelessly contrived and everything can be seen from miles away and there is no charm to be found, it is all really dull and shallow. Any comedic attempts felt forced, the romantic element is doomed by the leads' non-existent chemistry and the writers seemed to think that for the "emotional" parts stomach-churning over-sentimentality would pass for pathos. It does not. The direction indicated someone who had no idea in how to direct the film, what to do with it and didn't seem interested in it, while neither the production values or soundtrack provide any nostalgia or a genuine festive feeling. And don't get me started on the ending, no ending for a film in a long time has left me this angered or insulted that it came over as a slap in the face.

Summarising, terrible with the sole minor redeeming merit still being wasted. 1/10 Bethany Cox

In a snowy northern US town, Kelsey (Jocelyn Hudon) is planning a wedding for her cousin, Emily (Rebecca Dalton). Its her first of what she hopes will be many future jobs. Making it somewhat difficult is Emily's mother, Olivia (Kelly Rutherford) who is an overbearing task-master. Kelsey knows this first hand. It was Aunt Olivia who finished her upbringing after Kelsey's mother died ten years ago. At her first pre-wedding event, a couple's bridal shower at Emily's home, an old boyfriend of Em's, Connor (Stephen Huszar) seems to crash the party! No, Em says its fine. But, privately, Connor reveals to Kelsey that he is there on a JOB; yep, he was sent to investigate whether Em's fiance, Todd is the successful businessman he appears to be. Horrors! What could be more upsetting to Kelsey's job than to have a P.I. snooping at nearly every turn! Plus, what if he finds something objectionable and her cousin's heart is broken, again? Yet, certain happenstances seem to indicate that Todd has something to hide. As Kelse agrees to help Connor, what will they find? Between Olivia's demands, catty bridesmaids, wedding dress difficulties and so on, will this wedding be a disaster? And, could Connor's charms be growing on Kelsey? Plan on seeing this funny, sweet, romantic romcom. It has a great, attractive cast, wonderful costumes, beautiful sets, catchy lines and an energetic direction. In short, romcom fans, its love Nirvana.