DVD Reviews

Chalet Girl

• Rating:
• Director: Phil Traill
• Starring: Bill Nighy
• Details: UK/TBC TBC

Taking its cues from the fun, frolic-ridden party flicks of the 80s, this British production is as slight as they come, but does have plenty of charm. A starry supporting cast back up the relative-unknown-but-convincing Felicity Jones and (Jude Law's mini-me) Ed Westwick who star as the couple at opposite ends of the financial and social spectrum. It's utterly silly and highly unlikely, but its core audience will love it nonetheless.
Jones is working class English girl, Kim, who bags herself a job at a plush chalet in Austria during skiing season. There initially just to make money, she soon realises she has a knack for snowboarding and starts enjoying herself. A large part of the enjoyment comes courtesy of Westwick's rich, swish, insultingly handsome and inexplicably nice chalet owner. Complications arise in the form of his hot American other half, Sophie Bush, and the fact that his auld one (Brooke Shields in a glorified cameo) obviously wouldn't approve. But you know, the heart wants what the heart wants, etc.
Chalet Girl is the kind of film that deals with lulls in the pacing by injecting a recognisable pop song, and maybe a montage. There's nothing wrong with montages, Sandra Bullock has built a career on them, but you lose count after a while. It's not so much lazy, as more safely aimed at the teen girls who would make up its core audience. There are still chuckles to be had, if you watch it in a fluffy frame of mind.
Jones certainly makes for an engaging lead, but Westwick might as well be a book of GQ photographs with someone flicking the pages quickly enough to create the illusion of movement. It's not his fault, he's obviously got the looks side of movie stardom down, but he has nothing to do other than be pretty and suspiciously nice. Same goes for the bitchy mother, snobbish but beautiful girlfriend, and affable but dozy father.
Still, there's some surprisingly sharp dialogue, and Jones is the kind of every girl lead that could give Emma Stone a run for her money with the right role.

Review by Mike Sheridan