Article contributed by Victoria Hock
Director: Daryl Wein
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Sampson, Ray Nicholson, Shay Mitchell, Leah Jeffries
Written By: Tamara Chestna, based on the book by Melissa Hill
Christmas rom-coms are a staple of the holiday season for many, whether they’re from Hallmark, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or another streaming service or channel.
Something From Tiffany’s is unique in that, though there are mentions of Christmas, the focus is primarily on the romance and other aspects of the film, meaning it can just as easily be watched in March, or even during the summer, as it can be during the holiday season.
The movie chronicles the story of the accidental swap of two pieces of Tiffany’s jewellery, and the events that take place afterwards. The two pieces of jewellery are an engagement ring, which Ethan (Kendrick Sampson) has selected with the help of his daughter Daisy (Leah Jeffries) so that he can propose to his girlfriend Vanessa (Shay a Mitchell), and a pair of earrings, selected by Gary (Ray Nicholson) as a gift for his girlfriend Rachel (Zoey Deutch). The swap occurs when Ethan assists Gary after he is hit by a cab, and inadvertently takes Gary’s Tiffany’s bag when he leaves.
The overall plot line of this movie felt very predictable, and there weren’t many moments where I was particularly surprised by what happened. Having said that, I do think the story flowed well overall, and was relatively easy to follow. Also, I do think it was a smart choice to start the movie off with both men buying the jewellery for their girlfriends in the same store—this made it clear from the start of the movie that their stories would likely connect in some way.
The actors in this movie do quite well overall. As Rachel, Deutch does a fine job of portraying an upbeat, fun restauranteur, running a restaurant with her friend Terri (Jojo T. Gibbs). Gibbs was a good choice to portray the role of Terri; as Rachel’s friend, she is clearly supportive of her, and provides a few moments of comedy as well. Sampson is compassionate and clearly dedicated to the people he cares about in the role of Ethan, and as his daughter Daisy, Jeffries is supportive, full of joy, and, like her father, compassion. Though Mitchell does well in the role of Vanessa, I wish she would have gotten more screen time so that viewers could get a better idea of her character’s personality. Mitchell did well overall, but nothing about her character particularly stood out. Though he got more screen time, I felt similar about Ray Nicholson as Gary. He did well overall in the role, but his character, similar to Mitchell’s, could have been more developed, and I recognize that this is neither the fault of Mitchell nor Nicholson.
The movie’s choice of location serves it particularly well. Set primarily in the city, the location brings the Christmas feel into the movie, with Christmas trees occasionally being seen, while providing an excellent backdrop for some of the movie’s more romantic moments.
Another thing that serves this movie particularly well is its soundtrack. With a mixture of holiday favourites and old classics, the choice of music is perfect for a Christmas rom-com such as Something From Tiffany’s.
Overall, Something From Tiffany’s is a good movie. While there are a few issues with the movie’s overall plot line, the actors do a great job overall creating a movie that rom-com and Christmas movie fans alike can enjoy, throughout the year.
