I want to have “champagne problems,” or, as Netflix translated it in Brazil, “borbulhas de amor.” Unfortunately, that Brazilian title isn’t accurate — and it even limits a film that, although formulaic and intentionally sugary, fully understands what it is and what its audience wants this time of year. Having a handsome, wealthy, intellectual, emotionally available man fall in love with you? A Christmas dream for many of us. And in a season where platforms proudly embrace the holiday-romcom formula, the themed romances keep multiplying. Are they all the same? Of course not.

The Minka Kelly-led production doesn’t just stand out — it effortlessly tops Netflix’s Global Top 10, while others, like A Merry Ex-Christmas, stumble. And “stumble” here is almost symbolic: no one presses play on a holiday rom-com expecting it to change the world. But the smile still has to come from within; it has to feel aspirational. And in all its simplicity and obviousness, Champagne Problems achieves exactly that — without leaning on clip-style Christmas songs, overblown drama, or an excessively neurotic heroine. A delight.

The plot embraces this spirit. Sydney Price (Minka Kelly) is an ambitious executive sent to France to negotiate the acquisition of a traditional family-owned champagne house, Chateau Cassell. Determined to prove herself, she arrives in the City of Lights just before Christmas — and allows herself one evening off to breathe in the holiday atmosphere. That’s when she meets Henri (Tom Wozniczka), the charming Parisian who feels as if he walked straight out of our collective fantasy of holiday romances. They share a perfect, luminous, almost cinematic night… until she discovers the next day that Henri is the founder’s son of the very company she plans to acquire.

The film then balances enchantment and conflict, but a light, sparkling kind of conflict. The competition between potential buyers, orchestrated by Hugo Cassell (Thibault de Montalembert), serves more as a backdrop for the couple’s growing connection than as real tension. In each scene, it’s clear the film isn’t chasing twists — it wants to build a soft fantasy where love is as essential as a good vintage.

Critics, interestingly, acknowledge this. Many point out that the film embraces every trope in the book — and that’s perfectly fine. It makes no promises of reinvention and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a cozy, charming, holiday-adjacent rom-com. Outlets like The Guardian, The Independent, and Decider all converge: it’s predictable, sweet, comforting, exactly what viewers expect when they hit play. The praise centers on the gorgeous French settings, the irresistible seasonal glow, the direction that wisely avoids over-decorating, and the efficient supporting cast. Sean Amsing, in particular, has been singled out and unanimously praised for stealing every scene he’s in. As for Kelly and Wozniczka, critics describe their chemistry as “pleasant,” “warm,” not explosive — but honestly, it fits the film’s spirit.

The highlights include the dreamy French visuals, the understated soundtrack, Minka Kelly’s effortless charm as a heroine you can root for, and of course, the irresistible appeal of the premise: who hasn’t fantasized about finding an improbable romance while trying to nail the biggest deal of their career? And the film avoids the genre’s extremes: no excessive drama, no suffocating cuteness. Everything flows with ease.

In the end, Champagne Problems isn’t trying to change your life — it just wants to sweeten your day. It wants to give you sparkling Paris, glowing vineyards, an improbable love story, and a protagonist who finally finds room to breathe. It’s pure escapism, elegant and guilt-free. And among so many holiday titles that feel manufactured, this one stands out precisely because it fully embraces the formula — and does it with care.

If these are “champagne problems,” I’ll happily take a glass. Or two.