Netflix’s newest romantic comedy, released on Nov. 19, is yet another exaggeration of the tried-and-true Hallmark Christmas movie formula, leaving much to be desired.
In the romantic comedy “Champagne Problems,” an ambitious executive travels to France to secure the acquisition of a champagne brand before Christmas. But her plans are upended when she falls into a whirlwind romance with a charming Parisian — who turns out to be a key player in the vineyard she’s trying to acquire.
The movie begins with a marketing pitch from the main character, Sydney Price, in which she convinces her boss, Marvin, to let her take over the acquisition of a French champagne company, Chateau Cassell. Sydney’s much less ambitious sister, Skyler, forces Sydney to pinky promise she will take one night off of work to see the sights.
Once in Paris, Sydney stops at a bookstore where she meets a flirtatious Frenchman who promises to give her the full “Christmas in Paris” experience. While the carousel they’re riding conveniently stalls, he shares the tragic details of his family history — and hints that his father expects him to take over the family business. This is, of course, extremely obvious foreshadowing that he’s the heir to the champagne company.
From there, the movie follows the exact formula of most Hallmark Christmas films that every mother and grandmother seem to adore: An overachieving workaholic travels somewhere quaint to shut down a beloved small business, only to fall in love with the owner. By the end, the executive has a change of heart, quits their job and stays behind to help run the shop.
Sydney is the epitome of the stereotypical Hallmark heroine. She works too hard, carries unresolved baggage about love and family, and constantly puts everyone else before herself. While I appreciate the nod to eldest-daughter syndrome, I wish these characters had more nuance — something we haven’t already seen dozens of times.
And then there’s the problem of quantity over quality. Every Christmas, Netflix, Hallmark and nearly every other streaming service churn out countless movies with nearly identical plots and character archetypes. Only the actors and settings change. But why? Don’t these studios realize that 20 versions of the same movie are far less valuable than one original film that truly resonates?
Take “Klaus” for example — an inventive, heartfelt origin story for Santa Claus and the tradition of writing letters to him. It captures the spirit of kindness and holiday warmth while still feeling fresh and genuinely original.
Despite my issues with “Champagne Problems,” the romance between Sydney and Henri is charming, compelling and undeniably heartwarming. I genuinely understand why so many people find comfort and joy in movies like this — even if this one doesn’t break the mold.
Rating: 2/5
And to think that Netflix may soon own and operate nearly all Media in our country! We are being dumbed down on purpose.