There's something about festive movies, I'm not sure that many modern attempts really work (Elf and Love, Actually being the exception) and so we usually delve into the archives to get our Christmas movie fix – Santa Claus The Movie, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life... Need I go on?

New Year's Eve looked like it might restore my faith in modern Christmas tales, a seasonal movie that injects the Christmas spirit straight into me and gets me excited for the party season ahead. Unfortunately, New Year's Eve was a bit of a party pooper. With an A-List cast including everyone from Halle Berry to Robert DeNiro, Sarah Jessica Parker to Michelle Pfeiffer and Zak Effron to Ashton Kutcher and many, many more, it's the festive version of 2009's Valentine's Day, so you'd think with such a cast, it might give the viewer a bit more, but sadly from the get-go this movie fell short.

Following the same concept as Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve follows various characters and stories, some that intertwine and some that you hope might, throughout the day and countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve in New York City. We follow expectant parents-to-be The Byrnes (Jessica Biel and Seth Myers) battle it out with another couple to win $25,000 by having the first baby born in the hospital in 2012, while fun-loving Paul (Efron) helps fulfil shy Ingrid's (Pfeiffer) 2011 resolutions before the year is out. It's the type of film that brings every element of emotion – love, death, heartache, hope – and brings with it a message that I'm afraid may not pierce through our non-American, slightly cynical personalities... But maybe that's just me!

There are of course some stories that give you a lump in your throat and some that touch on real life scenarios that stop and make you think, but ultimately it's just a movie that is a bit of a no-brainer, which is maybe something we all need this time of year?!

Don't be too hasty to leave the cinema though, the bloopers and some outstanding moves from Zak Efron during the credits are definitely the best bit!

New Year's Eve is in cinemas nationwide from December 8th.