THIS TIME NEXT YEAR

UK, 2024, 115 minutes, Colour.

Sophie Cookson, Lucien Laviscount, Golda Rosheuvel, Mendip Gill., Monica Dolan, John Hannah,

Directed by Nick Moore.

A British romantic comedy, British style, a story of 30-somethings. The film is based on a novel by Sophie Cousens who has also written the screenplay.

Audiences who like a London stories will feel very much at home, the suburbs, mansions, the Underground, buses, pastry shops, the business world… But, there is a difficulty with identifying with the central character, Minnie Cooper (Sophie Cookson). She has a certain amount of charm, but… She is extremely accident-prone which we discover almost immediately, with accidents recurring throughout the film.

But, it is because one of these accidents that she encounters a charming young man, the Prince Charming equivalent, Quinn (Lucien Laviscount well-known to fans of television’s Emily in Paris). He has to rescue her when she is accidentally locked in the toilet overnight.

There is a little twist with these two coming together – and flashbacks to their birth, each on the same day, New Year’s Day, their two mothers helping each other and the issue of each of the mothers wanting to call their child, Quinn. (And there were social and financial consequences.)

So, will they fall in love? Will it be an easy path? Or will it be full of situations going wrong and misunderstandings? Obviously, the latter.

So, we follow Minnie and her bakery, her skill with pies, her friends working with her, her supplying pies to charities. And, Quinn can go along with that. But, each of them makes mistakes, and it does take a long time for them eventually to come together.

In the meantime, for the grandparent generation audience, there is a pleasing story of the two mothers getting together, mutual help, kindness and understanding.

Which means then that the appeal is to those who love romcoms, who enjoy the romance, even though misunderstandings, but for audiences chancing upon the film, it will depend on their initial response to Minnie and Quinn and whether they attracted to want to follow-up on this romantic adventure.

1. The title, the New Year’s theme, celebrations, year by year passing? Basic incident, the birth of the two children, the name Quinn, the celebrity for Quinn, the obscurity for Minnie’s mother and her resentment?
2. British romantic comedy, for 30-somethings? Identifying with the characters, the situations, relationships, work, finance, mishaps and misunderstandings? (And something for the grandparent generation with the story of Minnie’s parents, Quinn’s mother?)
3. The opening, New Year’s Eve, Minnie, to meet Greg, the mishaps, her being accident-prone, the Underground, the woman vomiting, going into the party, locked in the toilet, finally rescued by Quinn? How sympathetic character, audiences being irritated by her?
4. The family background, the flashback to the birth, Minnie’s mother helping Tara, the importance of the name, Tara explaining it was a tribute, the media, the financial reward, Minnie’s mother and the decades of resentment?
5. Minnie, her work, catering, the pies, her friends, the staff, the accident and the difficulties with the equipment, Leila best friend, school memories, financial management? Ian, devotion to Leila, the discussion about the proposal, the memories of the conversation, Leila and the extravagant proposal scenario, Minnie putting it into practice, the comedy of the acceptance?
6. When, his background and name, his mother, her phobias, their wealth, his visits, the absent father, memories father, the chess game? His encounter with Minnie, the joke about Mini Cooper?
7. His return, the breakfast, his seeing her work, accompanying her, carrying the pies, the welcome and the meals for the residents at the centre?
8. Audience response to the relationship between Minnie and Quinn, the ups and downs, her visits to the house, his mother, the reaction of her parents, friendship, discussions, the occasions on outings, swimming, the hesitancy with the kiss? His disappearance, communicating again, the return, the effect on Minnie, the blossoming of the relationship, his disappearing again, the card and his apology, shredded?
9. Minnie’s mother, going to see Tara, the initial tension, bitterness, the two women talking together, understanding, friendship, Tara and her phobias, the other woman getting her to go outside, enjoyment of the friendship?
10. Minnie, Leila and the finances, the need for reorganisation, and Minnie moving to new house?
11. New Year’s Eve, Minnie hurrying to meet Quinn, the bus, the driver helping her, the boat sailed? Return, finding Quinn, possibilities?
12. At the house, the sexual episode, her parents arriving, the embarrassment, the future?
13. Finally settling the differences, Minnie and her history being upset, Quinn and his apologies, a couple made for each other?