Next day, pressing ‘play’ on 2018 Vanessa Hugdens vehicle The Princess Switch creates a horrible, hollow feeling in my stomach. How many more 'royal' festive films can I take? However, trepidation miraculously turns to something else. Something...good? I mean, this one's so predictable, so naff, yet I'm strangely enamoured with it. Is it the power of that irresistible Hugdens smile? Who knows? All I know is I'm thoroughly charmed, despite its frothy doppelganger-swapping ridiculousness.
This one offers just enough of a twist, with its high concept mash-up of The Parent Trap's identical twin switcheroo and the TV Christmas movie princess stuff I've grown so fatigued with. The film was a huge hit for Netflix and I can see why - somehow, it just works.
This one also smartly cashes in on the inexplicable twenty-teens 'bake off' craze, following Hugdens' gifted Chicago pastry chef Stacey who is so talented that she and hunky sous chef/platonic best pal Kevin (Nick Sagar) are invited to one of those fictional European principalities to compete in a fancy festive baking competition.
In fictional Belgravia, Stacey literally bumps into the principality's infamously camera-shy Duchess Margaret (also Hugdens) who is - no way! - her exact double. Margaret is engaged to marry Belgravia's handsome but stiff Prince Edward (Sam Palladio), who she barely knows. Keen for a break from royal duties and to get a taste of the commoner's life, Margaret hatches just the sort of zany deal you might expect - the girls agree to secretly "switch" for a few days and then return to their lives in time for the bake-off/wedding. Of course, things get out of control, there are unexpected romances and important lessons are learned. At Christmas.
The set design here is especially stunning and wonderfully Christmassy, really putting me in the mood. It's mid-November now and it's getting proper, pointy-nipple chilly outside. Christmas stuff is in the shops, ridiculous perfume adverts are everywhere and it actually feels like it’s ok to watch films like this again.
The effects in Mike Rohl's film are impressive for scenes where Stacey and Margaret have to interact and Hugdens is excellent, giving distinct, complex dual performances. Technically, she's giving four performances here, when you consider she's also doing Stacey-as-Margaret and vice versa. It's a lot of fun.
The girls' uncanny resemblance is never satisfyingly explained but the film makes me not care. It's a suitably festive romance filled with all the right components, like cute orphans to remind us of the magic of giving, cobbled snowy streets, perfect for flirty snowball fights and grand royal balls festooned with sparkly lights. It’s familiar and comforting but just different enough to not make me want to punch myself in the face. Hugdens, with charisma to spare, has the gift of making you forget you're watching total guff. It's quite a talent.
It's drippy wish-fulfilment stuff, especially for platonic pal Kevin who has long been consigned to 'the Friend Zone' but hits the jackpot when Margaret takes a shine to him. Stacey also discovers she possesses gifts beyond baking, lending her leadership and organisational skills to help her handsome but dull Prince and secure herself a place as a genuine, bona fide princess in her own right (SPOILER!!!).
The whole thing is preposterous but filled with enough entertaining and festively sweet moments to win me over. It's got horse rides in the snow, a piano duet and a six foot Christmas cake for goodness sake! It shouldn't work yet it casts a delightful spell over me. They made two more of these things and I'm intrigued as to how they thought they could get away with pulling off the "Switch" multiple times. Sign me up.
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