Displaying items by tag: Olivia Holt

JINGLE BELL HEIST

US, 2025, 95 minutes, colour.

Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch, Peter Serafinowicz.

Directed by Michael Fimognari.

The film title indicates that this is a Christmas film. However, until we arrive at the role the sake happier, nicer ending, it is not so very Christmassy.

There is a prologue where a couple are ready to rob a safe – and then the flashback.

We are introduced to Sophia, a lively Olivia Holt, an American living in London, working in a popular store with its Christmas rush, looking after her ill mother in hospital. But, we see very quickly, that she can be tough, is an expert pickpocket, with a touch of generosity to those in need, and able to do some mini heists with aplomb.

She encounters Nick, a rather morose Connor Swindells, divorced father, devoted to his daughter. It emerges that he has put in the security system at the department store, but has gone to jail, accused of stealing and fraud. Sophia decides that he would be just the one to rob the safe of the store.

The arrogant manager of the store has a showy wife, popular in the public eye but behind the scenes clashes with her husband.

So, while the film has its humane story of the father and his family, the daughter and her sick mother, and the need for some high finance for her medical procedures, the film spends a lot of time on the store and her ability to develop her larceny skills, persuading Nick to collaborate with her.

So, a variation on a Christmas theme – but, some revelations as the film goes on, the charges against Nick and the reality behind them, and quite a surprise for the audience when Sophia targets the store manager and confronts him.

The safe is opened with all kinds  of consequences which can then lead to a happy ending, family reunions, and the spirit of Christmas.

Whether such action is possible in real life, it doesn’t quite matter because it is all presented as a differently imagined heist with its intentions and motivations.

HEARTS EYES

US, 2025, 97 minutes, Colour.

Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Jordana Brewster, Devon Sawa, Yoson An, Michaela Watkins.

Directed by Josh Ruben.

Valentine’s Day movie. Yes, destined for repeats every February 14^th.

Title. My Bloody Valentine already taken.

Heart Eyes – certainly a killer to rival Jason, Michael Myers, Scream franchise killer is, with a mask and red glowing heart eyes in the dark.

Slasher movie. Definitely

Romantic comedy movie. Definitely.

Combination of both. (Criticisms that the makers could not decide which was more important? The fact that the makers actually did and thought that both are important and combining them?

Blood. Lots.

Gore. Lots – and many more victims along the way rather than the main targets.

How serious? Serious but a lot of the time very much tongue-in-cheek.

The romantic couple? Definitely not at first, mutual dislike, rivalry. But danger bringing them together, a precarious route to falling in love.

Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding as the couple, she still sad about a breakup, potentially sacked because of her campaign strategy for selling jewellery (Love ends tragically with glimpses of Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, Bonnie and Clyde, and the southern-drawling boss threatening to sack her with Mason Gooding coming in as the expert, and their being told to work together…

The police. Their names Hobbs and Shaw, Jordana Brewster’s character saying that she had never seen the films. (In-joking reference.)

A recommendation – fans of romantic comedies might like all of that part, but may find the slashing too gruesome. Slasher fans might like the romantic comedy but, even if they do not, will be glad to put up with it because of the terror and horror.

Trivial Pursuit note: it was all filmed in New Zealand, Auckland.

1. Valentine’s Day film? Slasher film? Romcom? Combined?
2. The American city, apartments, board rooms, restaurants, unfair, police precincts and cells, interrogation? Drive-in? The musical score, the songs and the lyrics?
3. The opening, combining romantic comedy with slasher, the couple, filming the proposal, repeats, the deaths, the killer and the mask? The information, Valentine’s Day, in past years, the deaths, the map? Seattle, apprehension and mood?
4. Ally and Monica, their friendship, the past, chatter,Aally and her breakup, brooding, the phone and images, their work, the promotion, selling jewellery, love ending in death, Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, Bonnie and Clyde…? Meeting, Crystal and her southern drawl, condemnation?
5. Ally, the special coffee, the encounter with Jay, bumping heads, his coming into the meeting, his talent and expectations? The command they work together? The discussions, Ally and her reactions, going shopping with Monica, the various dresses, her arrival, waiting for Jay, his being late, the talk, the sparring, rivalries? Her walking out? Meeting her ex and his girlfriend, the decision to kiss Jay, his response? And their being watched by Heart Eyes?
6. Ally locked out, the taxi driver, Jay coming to help, breaking the window, cutting his hand, first-aid, Heart Eyes in the closet, emerging, the fights, fleeing, the killing of the taxi driver, Jay and his being hurt, Ally escaping, the funfair, hiding, turning on the carousel, the fights?
7. The drive-in, watching Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell? Heart Eyes, the attacks, the couple hiding in the van and the sexual activities, the killings? The panic, the further deaths, the police, arresting Jay, the joke about Hobbs and Shaw and Jordana Brewster in the franchise? Hobbs and his fierce interrogation, Shaw taking over more congenial? Ally and her anxiety, waiting for information, the encounter with David, the IT man? Then the death of the officer at the desk?
8. The continued mayhem, Jay and Ally, their talking, the final confrontation, the revelation about Shaw and David, the explanations of their behaviour, the death of their third associate, the buildup to the fights, the fire, the knives, and, ultimately, Ally’s conservation straw and killing Shaw?
9. The romantic ending, sharing stories, telling the truth? And the postscript during the credits of Monica and her intervention, the photographing of the proposal?