In this season of ho-hum Christmas films, you could do much worse

There are a few bright moments and funny lines but not quite enough to make this more than a passable diversion. At least it isn't a soppy seasonal rom-com: there's a romantic element but mostly this is, as the title suggests, a crime caper movie.

The film takes place in London. The two main characters are both struggling - it's not the season to be jolly for either of them.

Sophie (Disney Channel veteran Olivia Holt), moved back to Britain from the US with her cancer-ridden English mother for the health care (the leading cause of personal bankruptcies in the US is medical costs). But the National Health Service will be too slow. It turns out the treatment needed can only be provided expeditiously through the expensive private system (not the greatest ad for the health care of either country). Sophie is working two jobs - in a pub and in Sterling's, a posh department store - but it's not nearly enough.

Meanwhile, Nick (Connor Swindells from Sex Education) has his own problems. He's an ex-con who can't keep up his payments for his ex and their daughter from his job fixing people's phones and computers. And he claims he is innocent, framed after he installed the security system at Sterling's.

Sophie learned magic and a few other things from her American grandfather and puts these skills to use in picking pockets and other dubious doings. The people she steals from are carefully shown to be nasty pieces of work and she is obviously in need but still, is Sophie entitled to steal from them? Ho ho hmmm... quite an ethical problem.

Of course, Nick and Sophie find themselves together before too long and are making plans for their robbery. Each has skills that will be useful.

Following their preparations is fun (as it usually is in such movies, including such standbys as a party with surreptitious communication via earphone) and there are some satisfying twists as the story unfolds - the skeleton of the story was there, it just needed some more flesh and muscle.

Any moral qualms they, or we, might have about this particular job are put to rest by the fact that the store's owner, Maxwell Sterling (comedian and actor Peter Serafinowicz whose many credits include Shaun of the Dead) is a complete rotter, the sort of corrupt, arrogant villain nobody would mind seeing robbed (or worse).

His wife Cynthia (Lucy Punch from Bloods) is thoroughly over him: the Sterlings have one of those for-show marriages where they both pursue other pleasures, only coming together to look good at social events.

The seasonal song selection, while not memorable, isn't as hackneyed as we sometimes get and, of all pieces, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is raided for some of the musical themes (it's quite pleasant, though wouldn't something from his Nutcracker ballet have been more appropriate?)

Director Michael Fimognari also did the cinematography (he's had a substantial international career in the latter field, often working with director Mike Flanagan (Gerald's Game).

Aided by the colourful production design, Jingle Bell Heist isn't bad to look at, though the design of the store's main interior doesn't appear entirely convincing - a university library was dressed to create it.

The movie has the sheen common to a lot of digitally shot movies that paradoxically makes them look a bit cheap (not as cheap as the old days of videotape, to be sure). A climactic chase scene also smacks a little of budget limitations.

Neither of the leads is A-list but they're quite appealing. Swindells has a bit of a hang-dog look (not surprising given what his character's been going through) and Holt isn't annoyingly perky and they work well together.

While this is no holiday classic, you could do a lot worse.