Nativity!: Film #105 of Film 365

Friday 23rd December 2011

Director: Debbie Isitt
Year: 2009
Stars: Martin Freeman, Marc Wooton, Jason Watkins, Ashley Jensen, Pam Ferris, Alan Carr

Another Christmas movie that I had vaguely wanted to see when it was released, I hadn't been enthusiastic enough to drag anybody to the cinema to see it. So when it made it to TV, I was keen to give it a try.

Nativity! is exactly what you expect it to be. Paul Maddens (Freeman) is a teacher who has lost any love of Christmas he used to have, because that's when his girlfriend left him. And if you can't guess where Nativity! is going with this, you really have never watched a Christmas movie.

What Nativity! does, it does perfectly well. It just doesn't do anything new, resulting in your average Christmas movie and not really much more than that.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Arthur Christmas: Film #102 of Film 265

Wednesday 21st December 2011

Director: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook
Year: 2011
Stars: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Ashley Jensen (voices)

As I was in the mood for some Christmas fun, Arthur Christmas seemed like the perfect choice of movie to go and see at the cinema. Clearly I wasn't the only one with that idea four days before Christmas - the theatre was packed. It probably helped that the movie had come recommended by friends who had seen it.

As it turns out, Arthur Christmas probably isn't that special a movie. What it is, though, is a great Christmas movie. Like many movies, you'll know the ending long before it comes - but it isn't really about the ending. Not just that, anyway. It's about the joys of Christmas and the wonder of Santa. If you love Christmas, there's nothing quite like Arthur Christmas to put you in the right mood for it.

A great addition to the Christmas movie canon - it's basically just a big Christmas hug. With a pink twinkly bicycle.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Christmas Gift: Film #100 of Film 365

Sunday 11th November 2011

Director: David S. Cass Sr.
Year: 2009
Stars: Dean Cain, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mimi Kennedy, Spencir Bridges, Dylan Sprayberry, Alex Zubarev

Yey, Film #100! Only 265 to go then...

So, in a complete 180 degree turn from Inside Job, I decided Sunday evening was Christmas movie time. And not good Christmas movie time. Smaltzy, sickly, sweet, Hollywood-all-the-way Christmas movie time. The kind where you know what the ending will be in the first five minutes. And you know you're right.

As that sort of Christmas movie goes, The Christmas Gift isn't bad. It has everything you'd want and expect (naughty kids that aren't really at all naughty, big Christmas trees, a relatively good looking leading man...). But you'll only enjoy it if you're in the mood - and don't hate this sort of movie. I was perfectly happy.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

PS The movie is listed on IMDB as The Three Gifts - we weren't watching the 1986 John Denver movie (which I've also never heard of, but hey). The Christmas Gift appears to be an alternative title for this movie that C5 like to use!

Together Again for the First Time: Film #64 of Film 365

Friday 26th August 2011

Director: Jeff Parkin

Year: 2008

Stars: Julia Duffy, David Ogdfen Stiers, Kirby Heyborne, Blake Bashoff, Kelly Stables, Lauren Storm, Michelle Page, Joey Lawrence, Larisa Oleynik

A Christmas movie in August? Why not? Clearly, Channel 5 thought the same thing because this was only broadcast a couple of weeks ago. In fairness, it's not really as cheery as most Christmas movies, so perhaps isn't what people want to watch in mid December.

Together Again for the First Time is all about a dysfunctional family coming back home to be with their mother and stepdad (or dad and stepmum, depending upon the character), and just trying to get along. As you might expect with any cheesy Christmas movie, everybody hates each other until the final overly sentimental half an hour. But along the way there are sons taking drugs, siblings have full-on arguments and people struggling with their jobs.

There's nothing special here. But then, you have to remember that this was shown on Channel 5 at 3pm on a Friday afternoon. It's a TV movie and as such it's OK, but don't go out of your way to watch it.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5