Magic In The Moonlight (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 97 minutes
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Cast: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver, Erica Lershen, Eileen Atkins

Magic in the Moonlight has all the cinematic elements one would expect to find in a Woody Allen film, yet the magic promised in the title is not quite present. Allen's latest does give out sparks with it's beautiful panoramic shots, exquisite costume design and entertaining and witty performance by Colin Firth, yet as a whole remains rather unremarkable and forgettable. It's a screenplay filled with the promise of a comical and joyful scenario, but falls into the unfortunate trap of coming across as ridiculous rather than charming.

Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth), an Englishman who's alter ego is the Chinese magician, Wei Ling Soo, makes it his duty and takes great pleasure in exposing frauds who claim to be psychic mediums. Following a tip from his long time friend, Howard Burkan (Simon McBurney), Stanley travels to the Cote d'Azur where a young woman who claims to be a medium is staying with the wealthy Catledge family. When Stanley meets the woman in question, Sophie (Emma Stone), he finds it hard to put a finger on her methods and starts to wonder whether there is really more to this life than what he has always believed.

With it's interesting and seemingly original subject matter, Magic in the Moonlight very much feels like it is Woody Allen's exploration of the Science vs. Spirituality debate. It is unfortunately not a thoroughly executed theme as it is strong to a point, and then starts to lose it's importance drastically towards the end of the film. The lead character of Stanley Crawford makes it clear that he believes everything has an explanation and that there is nothing more to this world than what we see. However, when he meets Sophie and cannot understand her ways, he starts to believe that his beliefs may not have been valid. As the film progresses, there is a great deal of going and back and forwards before the film arrives at an ending which doesn't say anything clear about the point Allen is trying to make. Has Allen just constructed a story around this theme so that his audience can make their own conclusion, or is there a point he is trying to make there which is just unclear?

However, without looking into Magic in the Moonlight with too much depth, it is an entertaining and fun piece of work. The dialogue is particularly Allen-esque and wonderfully executed with some very funny moments, particularly by Colin Firth. However, the ending does go off on a tangent to make the finale seem highly unrealistic and quite ridiculous. One might believe that this was an attempt to have an old fashioned, romantic ending to a nostalgic film, but is more mindboggling than anything else. Overall the film is pleasantly nostalgic and visually a treat. Magic in the Moonlight is set in 1928 and the way in which it recreates this time period in the south of France is perfect. The production design is well reminiscent of the 1920's and the costume design is absolutely stunning. The "hot" music that is played when dancing is also perfectly suited to the time period and very fun. The Cote d'Azur is beautifully captured on film with gorgeous panoramic shots of the seaside and mountains.

Colin Firth is the absolute standout of the cast. He has exceptional comedic timing and delivers his witty and sarcastic dialogue so naturally which makes him an absolute joy to watch. Emma Stone does well in her role as Sophie individually, but together Firth and Stone have very little on screen chemistry. Not only do they not visually fit together, but there are no sparks between the two at all and this makes it very hard to believe that one could feel anything romantically for the other.

Magic in the Moonlight is a beautiful nostalgic trip, but it's fun story is not a strongly executed one. Unfortunately, Woody Allen's latest film is one of his more forgettable ones.

6/10

The Railway Man (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 116 minutes
Director: Jonathan Tepiltzky
Writers: Eric Lomax (autobiography), Frank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson (screenplay)
Cast: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgard, Jeremy Irvine, Hiroyuki Sanada, Sam Reid

The Railway Man will open in Australian cinemas on the 26th December and in the United Kingdom on the 1st January 2014.

The Railway Man is one of the most extraordinary stories to be told on screen in the past year.

War changes men in ways in which those who haven't experienced the horrors of battle will never understand. For those who became prisoners of war and lived to tell the tale, how do you move on from something like that and find closure? The true story of Eric Lomax is unlike any you have heard before and is brilliantly adapted for the screen in The Railway Man. While the story is incredible, the cinematography, flawless acting and wonderful direction bring the spirit of the story to life and make it an incredibly emotional experience.

We first meet Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) on the train ride in which he meets the love of his life, Patricia Wallace (Nicole Kidman). The two fall madly in love with each other and are married. It doesn't take Patti long to realise that she has married a very disturbed war veteran and when she tries to talk about his past experiences with Eric, he shuts her out and tells her never to ask him again. It is only when she approaches his lifelong best friend, Finlay (Stellan Skarsgard) that she realises the horrors he has experienced and both her and Finlay know there is only one way Lomax can get past this trauma. Finding and taking his revenge on the man who was responsible for his torture.

While The Railway Man is set largely during WW2, it is not the typical war film as it is set away from battle. Jonathan Tepiltzky's film shows the horrors of being a prisoner of war with Lomax being captured and being forced to work on the "Death Railway", the railway in between Thailand and Burma. The scenes set during this time can be quite graphic and are a reminder that it wasn't only on the battlefield that nightmares were made. It shows the different ways men lived with the horrors they had seen and how different men coped in different ways.

The Railway Man is a very emotional film. It has the ability to make you feel very uncomfortable and is quite distressing, but it is the final 10 minutes of the film that are incredibly overpowering. Lomax's story has a completely unique and extraordinary ending that can teach everyone a huge lesson regardless of whether you have experienced a situation like Lomax's or not. There will be some who will feel that this story is a little far fetched, even though it is a true story. What happened to Lomax at the end of the film is extraordinary and not many other people, if any would have experienced thing. That is what makes this story so amazing and breathtaking on the big screen.

The cinematography takes away nothing and adds everything to the film. Tepiltzky has the talent of making the audience feel as though they are standing right next to the characters rather than being an observer from afar. During the scenes in which they are making the railway, you can feel the heat and stickiness of the climate, but you can also feel on an emotional level the dread and misery in the air. While in the scenes with Lomax and Patti at home, you can smell the salty air and feel the chill of the Scottish coast and countryside. It is also a beautiful period piece that truly captures the times in which it is set.

Colin Firth is once again brilliant in this film. From the very first scene you can see that his mind is not always in the space he is physically in and that he is a very troubled and disturbed man. His final scenes are incredible with Lomax's enemy, Nagase, who is played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Sanada, although not in the film for a considerable amount of time, is also brilliant. When he is faced with Lomax, you immediately see in him a man who has been able to convince himself over the years that he is an innocent, but struggles to maintain that once he is there with this man. The scenes with Firth and Sanada are wonderful, and the chemistry these two form is wonderful.

Nicole Kidman is also wonderful as Patti. She and Firth work so well on screen together and her final scene where she finally comes to the realisation of what her husband has really been through is beautiful. Stellan Skarsgard is also very good. His Finlay doesn't overtly show his emotions in the way Lomax does, but his controlled manner even shows glimpses of his inner torment.

The Railway Man is one of the best told stories on screen of the year. It combines great storytelling with magnificent film making It will not leave you with a dry eye, but will leave you filled with wonder.

9/10



You may have also seen Colin Firth in.....
The Kings Speech as King George VI

You may have also seen Nicole Kidman in.....
Stoker as Evelyn

Editor's Choice: St Trinian's (2007)

Year: 2007

Running Time: 97 minutes

Director: Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson

Writers: Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft (screenplay), Jamie Minoprio and Jonathan M. Stern (additional material), Ronald Searle (cartoons)

Cast: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton, Talulah Riley, Lena Headey, Russell Brand, Kathryn Drysdale, Tamsin Egerton, Paloma Faith, Juno Temple, Lily Cole, Lucy Punch, Holly Mackie, Cloe Mackie, Toby Jones, Celia Imrie, Jodie Whittaker, Mischa Barton, Stephen Fry

There is only so long you can go as a film reviewer before you feel that you absolutely must tell the world why you love one of your guilty pleasures.

St Trinian's is perhaps my biggest guilty pleasure. It is the movie I put on when I don't know what I feel like watching. It is the film I watch when I need a bit of a laugh. It is the film I watch when I want to see all these great actors in one place. It's the film I watch when I just want to have some fun and not be challenged in any way shape or form. It's may not be the best made film and it won't feature in any "Best of" lists, but this doesn't detract from the enjoyment it gives me and so many other people. Does this make St Trinian's a cult classic? It could well do. Honestly, I don't think I will ever get sick of watching this film over and over and I have no shame in saying it. Nor do I think I will ever stop quoting Tasmin Egerton's lines over and over.

Before I go into detail about why I love this film so much, here's a quick run through about St Trinian's. St Trinian's is an English boarding school for girls, but not just any girls. The naughtiest and unruly girls. By their own definition, they are the defenders of anarchy. As for the teachers, they are the teachers who can't find a job anywhere else. Headmistress Ms Camilla Fritton (played by Rupert Everett) is known to the area as the one who lets her girls run wild and do whatever they want, yet she believes she is looking after her girls who have nowhere else to go. Yet, St Trinian's is about to make some changes, starting on the day which Ms Fritton's estranged brother, Carnaby (also played by Everett) brings his bullied daughter, Annabelle (Talulah Riley) to St Trinian's. Head girl, Kelly Jones (Gemma Arterton) is on hand to welcome Annabelle and after introducing her to all the cliques, reveals that the First Year's are taking bets about how long she will last. The girls over hear a conversation between Ms Fritton and the bank manager and find out that their school is in dire straits financially and may close down. The girls take matters into their own hands and hatch an extremely elaborate plan to save their beloved school.

So why do I love St Trinian's so much? The film, based on the cartoons by Ronald Searle, opened in 2007 to mixed reviews. It has a 5.6 rating on IMDb and 31% on Rotten Tomatoes. This doesn't sound enticing at all at the moment, does it? Yet, there is so much to love about it.

When I went to the Australian premiere of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters in January this year which Gemma Arterton, I overheard a fan say to her "You were great in St Trinian's!" and she replied, "Thankyou. It's a real girl power film".

And that it is. The audience for St Trinian's may predominantly be female for this reason. Obviously the majority of the cast is female (even Rupert Everett is playing a woman for the large part of the movie) as it is set in a girls school. Even though this is a school for bad girls, the characters maintain the image of being unruly without crossing the boundaries into them being described as crude or inappropriate. Although they speak of bombs and explosives, they are not particularly violent either. They are more just mischievous than anything else, and it is welcome for them to be so. St Trinian's is very much the English brand of comedy. If you are not a fan of British comedy, this is probably not for you, yet it is perfect for those that are. The girls antics throughout the film are very, very funny and the script is hilarious.

And the masterplan they hatch! Brilliant! It is so elaborate, colourful and fun. They combine the competing in a televised school game show with a heist in order to save their school and although it may be predictable, is just great fun to watch. The soundtrack is also extremely foot tapping and head bopping.

Yet, I think it is really the actors and their  characters who make the film. What separates St Trinians from other comedy films and particularly those with a lot of characters, like this film has, is that there is a great deal of character and character development. So let's take a look at the players who make this film what it is.

Rupert Everett

The role of Miss Fritton was played in the earlier St Trinian's films (released in 1954 and 1957) by Alastair Sim. But what must have Rupert Everett thought when hewas approached to play both a male and female in the 2007 St Trinian's? No matter what he thought or what it sounded like, it works! This isn't a case of Everett playing a man in drag either, you completely forget after awhile that Miss Fritton is actually a man! The love story between Fritton and Colin Firth's Geoffrey Thwaites is over the top, but a riot when you do remember that Fritton is a male. One of the funniest parts of the film is when Geoffrey see's her/him for the first time in years and the vision of Fritton in her bright pink running suit is accompanied by "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" by The Four Aces. For all of you playing at home, here is a little bit of trivia courtesy of IMDb, the character of Camilla Fritton is modelled on the Duchess of Cornwall's image and mannerisms.

Colin Firth

Love Pride & Prejudice? Will love St Trininan's. The film is absolutely covered in references to Colin Firth's role as Mr Darcy Austen classic. When appearing on the hockey pitch again, his emergence is reminiscent of that of Mr Darcy appearing at the end of Pride & Prejudice. Miss Fritton's dog, who Geoffrey is the cause of it's demise, name is Mr Darcy. There are also quite a few references to another film of Firth's, The Girl With The Pearl Earring. In one scene, there is a classic line by Antonia Bernath's Chloe who when looking at the painting says "Wow, you can so see why Colin Firth wanted to shag her".

Lena Headey

While these days Lena Headey is most well known for her role as Cersei in "Game Of Thrones", we saw her play a polar opposite character in St Trinian's. Perhaps the most well behaved character of the film, Miss Dickinson is a far cry from Cersei Lannister. She is the goody-goody newest teacher of St Trinian's who is dying to see the girls take part in School Challenge. Headey has been around for a long time and is an extremely versatile actress. This film shows off her versatility in a character who is meant to be boring in behaviour compared to the others, but is still such a great character with a whole lot of character.

Russell Brand



Russell Brand plays Flash, another character who made his first appearance in the earlier St Trinian's films as played  by George Cole. Flash is the girl's crime consultant if you will. St Trinian's is essential viewing for any Russell Brand fan as the type of comedic dialogue he uses is very much his own. Brand's Flash is very much a superstar to the girls, as he is in real life. Perhaps his funniest scene in St Trinian's is his meeting with Carnaby Fritton in his art gallery when he is pretending to be an elusive and gay art dealer.

Talulah Riley

Talulah Riley is the perfect leading lady as Annabelle Fritton. She has the ability to play the bullied schoolgirl convincingly before switching to play a true St Trinian. She is a completely different character at the beginning of the film compared to at the end and that is a true example of the evolving of a character. She never stops changing throughout the film. Like Firth, Riley also provides another Pride & Prejudice reference as she played Mary Bennett in the 2005 film. Riley also appeared in the sequel, St Trinians 2 where Annabelle is named head girl.

Gemma Arterton
For the now globally famous actress, this was her breakthrough role. Gemma Arterton played head girl Kelly Jones and was absolute perfection. Many still credit this as being Arterton's best performance to date. She is undoubtedly the leader of the girls and is absolutely convincing as it. She, like Riley, has complete star power in St Trinian's.

Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Egerton plays Chelsea, the leader of the Poshy Totty, a group of girls who run a chat line and all claim to have slept with a member of the royal family. Chelsea is believed to be the tarty airhead, but there are signs throughout the film that suggest otherwise. Egerton is wonderful in this role and is one of the most memorable characters. She delivers some of the funniest lines of the film and her final scene of School Challenge is pure gold. She is gifted with perhaps the best line of the film when she says "You want to steal...Scarlett Johansson?"

Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith plays St Trinian school girl, Andrea, who is the face of the Emo clique. Faith, who is nowadays better known as a successful UK pop/jazz singer with signature flaming red hair, is seen in a completely different light here than how we are now used to seeing her. She is also great fun to watch as she is more disturbed than actually an angry Emo chick, but also changes throughout the film to become a little less Emo in attitude.

Lily Cole
Another star who we see in a completely different light in St Trinian's than we normally see is supermodel, Lily Cole. Cole plays Polly, the leader of the Geek clique of St Trinian's. Absolutely convincing, until the scenes where you see he standing next to he co-stars and she is towering above them with her 5'10" frame.

Holly and Cloe Mackie
I love these two girls! Twin sisters who play first years, Tara and Tania are referred to by Arterton's Kelly as "Winchester's answer to The Sopranos". They are wise beyond their years, but also a whole lot of first year trouble. The girls were only ten years old when they appeared in St Trinian's and were absolutely hilarious. You know it shouldn't be adorable, but it is here when in a little ten year old voice you hear "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

So, as you can see, there are dozens of reasons to love St Trinian's. I'm sure there are people out there whose personal taste will allow them the find dozens of reasons to dislike it, but everyone has their rerun guilty pleasures. Whatever film it may be, there are reasons you will always love it.

Love, Actually (2003)

Year: 2003

Director: Richard Curtis

Cast: Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Martin Freeman

Now this is the movie I have had the most requests for the review this Christmas season, so I should be hearing a lot of cheering from outside my window when this review goes live!

Love, Actually is one of the most popular and successful Christmas films of the past decade. There are so many reasons why it is so successful. It is a romantic, feel-good movie that appeals to both males and females and is genuinely funny.  All this in a Christmas movie would normally be ultra-corny, but in Love, Actually it is just beautiful.

So where do you start?

Love, Actually is a multi-protagonist film, which means that there are several main characters and each of these characters have their own story. As is a fairly common in this type of film, all the characters are somehow linked. There is Daniel (Liam Neeson) who has just lost his wife, David (Hugh Grant) who is the new Prime Minister, Sarah (Laura Linney) who is in love with her work colleague, Jamie (Colin Firth) who has just found out his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother, Karen (Emma Thompson) who suspects that her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman) is having an affair and Mark (Andrew Lincoln) who is in love with his best friend’s wife, Juliet (Keira Knightley).

But…….the question on everyone’s lips is….will aging rocker, Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) has the number one song at Christmas with the catchy and ridiculous, “Christmas Is All Around”?

If you haven’t seen Love, Actually, from my above plot summary you are probably thinking that the movie just sounds a bit messy. It is anything but. Director, Richard Curtis gives each character the same amount of screen time and the best thing is, you feel an emotional connection to each of the characters. That is something that is hard to grasp in your straight forward film, even harder in a film with as many characters as this. However, there are tears of triumph, happiness and sadness for all in the film.

During the film, there are so many unforgettable moments. You will never hear “Jump For My Love” again without thinking about a dancing Hugh Grant. “Love Is All Around” will always ring of “Christmas Is All Around”, the song that opens the film with obscenities from getting the two songs mixed up. 

It does set high romantic standards for everyone who watches it, which could be dangerous. Who doesn’t want the perfect moment at Christmas though? Love, Actually just brings them to the screen!

There is no one star or standout performance in Love, Actually, but many. Bill Nighy as Billy Mack is absolutely hilarious and so different from any of his other roles. Hugh Grant is an absolutely charming Prime Minister who you wish you could vote in to parliament. Colin Firth is just wonderful and his restaurant scene is what every woman dreams of. Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman work so well together, even when they are having marital problems on screen.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays young Sam who has just lost his mother, but is also the victim of his first love. He is an absolute scene stealer, even with Liam Neeson by his side, who is also wonderful.

Love, Actually is a one of a kind film and the fact that it is a Christmas film makes it even more likable. There is so much beauty as well as humour in the film. It is the best Christmas film to have been released in the last ten years…actually.

9.5/10

The King's Speech

The King's Speech
Year: 2010
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce

In My Own Words
Wow. No really...wow. I am still in absolute bewilderment nearly two hours after I walked out of the cinemas after seeing "The King's Speech". I have nothing but praise for this film and I truly believe that I have just seen the film that will win the big one at the Academy Awards in March and I have no doubt that I have also witnessed the performance that will win Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role. It was only one scene into the film that I realised when watching Colin Firth in his role as King George VI that I was witnessing something special. Halfway through the film, I whispered to my soon to be husband, "He is going to win the Oscar". I sincerely hope that "The Kings Speech" is also the source of the Best Supporting Male and Female Actor's too. Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter were truly brilliant. I'm not usually one to make huge and confident predictions like this, but I feel like I have become so emotionally attached to this film that I will be absolutely devestated if victory is taken from it's grasp for the Golden Globes in the next few weeks and the Oscars in March.

The point about this film that I really want to make is that it is one of the most emotional films I have seen in a long time. Unlike the large majority of emotional films, this film does not contract the emotion from death or romantic angst, but rather from everyday human feelings show by an amazing man. I had tears in my eyes for the large part fo the film and found myself weeping in the final scene. I have never had this type of experience with a film that, as I said, does not have any death or hard core romance in it. Some of the tears were from feeling "Bertire's" pain and some of them were from the overwhelming feeling of seeing so many amazing things on the screen at once. I think I may break down in tears once again if Firth takes home the Oscar because I haven't seen a performance more deserving in a very long time.

I feel like this was the perfect time for me to be watching this film which is a great representation of an important time in British modern history as I will be visiting England for the first time in the next few weeks. I am extremely excited and seeing Westminster Abbey on the big screen has just heightened my excitement.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
It is a very rare occasion when a film comes along which can be described as near flawless, but when it does, it is a film and time to be cherished. "The King's Speech" is an extremely powerful and awe inspiring film. It does not have visual effects or crazy CGI images in which many films are these days measured by, it relies purely on the amazing performances by Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter and a brilliantly written screenplay to create an emotionally charged film which is almost completely character driven. The film opens with the Duke Of York (Colin Firth), affectionately known as Bertie by his family, giving a speech at Wimbeldon. As soon as he opens his mouth, realisation sets in that he has a bad stammer and is incapable of speaking in the same manner as others because of it. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks out the help of Ausralian speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help with her husbands problem after a series of failed attempts by advised psychiatrists. Although Bertie is cynical at first of Logue's methods, the most unlikely of friendships starts to form and Logue becomes an even more crucial part of his life when he becomes crowned King George VI.

This movie is an amazing story of real human emotion which can be felt by anyone, not just the King of England. There are millions of people out there who have problems with public speaking or have low self esteem because of one reason or another. This movie reaches out to those people and pulls on their emotional strings. It is extremely rare for a film which is based on a powerful and historical figure to become one which everyday people can relate to. This film would not be what it is without the amazing acting by the three lead's. This is very much a character driven film, which means that the acting had to be superb in order for it to be any sort of success. Tom Hooper certainly knew what he was doing when casting this film. Colin Firth is absolutely incredible as Bertie. He well and truly becomes the character and the audience becomes completely lost in the character to the point that you completely forget that this is Colin Firth you are watching. Gone is Mr Darcy and every speck of "Pride And Prejudice" and "Bridget Jones' Diary" which Firth used to project when he appeared on the screen, this man is the real deal. He shows the pain and embarassment he feels over his stammer right from the first sight of him on the big screen. He truly becomes the character right down to the smallest detail. Firth carries himself like royalty and his stammer brings tears to your eyes. He has indeed reached he pinnacle of his career, and there seems to be no real threat in sight for the Best Actor Oscar.

Geoffrey Rush is great as Logue. Unlike Firth, it is not the hardest role he has ever done, but he nevertheless is brilliant and extremely likable. Like Bertie, the audience feels pity for Logue. His character is extremely witty and funny. Helena Bonhom Carter is also brilliant as the future Queen mother. In this role which see's, for the first time in a long time, take on a film role which is not a quirky Tim Burton or Harry Potter role. It is not the first time she has played royalty ( as she was cast as Anne Boleyn in the TV movie "Henry VIII" in 2003), but it is defiantely her finest. She is sublime as Elizabeth and you can see the love she has for her husband and the pain she feels for him in his eyes. Timothy Spall was also brilliant as Winston Churchill, taking on the persona ansd mannerisms of the man to perfection.

The screenplay is brilliantly written. The reference for this film was the diaries which Lionel Logue left behind and these diaries were available to Hooper and and writer, David Seidler when putting together this film. The research which has gone into this film is just incredible. It is also quite funny in parts, such as when Bertie is learning how to swear, which is quite unusual for such an emotional drama film. The cinematography and musical score enhance every emotion throughout the film and create suspense and intrigue. The monologue of Bertie and Logue's therapy sessions is very clever and highly enjoyable.

In colnclusion only one thing can be said to sum up everything which "The King's Speech" is. The future best film of the 2011 Academy Awards, and that is no light statement.
10/10

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol
Year: 2009
Director: Robert Zemekis
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robyn Wright-Penn

My Own Words
Welcome to Christmas! That’s what I saw this movie as representing. The start of the Christmas media season. I’m actually surprised it wasn’t released at the beginning of December rather than the beginning of November.

Anyway, I was very excited about seeing this movie. I love the story of “A Christmas Carol”, although, sadly, I have never read the book. I really should get around to that one day. There have been over 35 films based on Charles Dickens novel. However, I have only seen two of them. Those being “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Muppets Christmas Carol”, both of which I love. This version which I saw tonight, was a very different interpretation. In saying that though, I did really enjoy it and thought it was a great movie.

The one thing I have to say about this movie and is a bit of a warning to parents out there or people who were contemplating taking children to see this, it is not as child friendly as it appears. There are some pretty frightening parts in it for children. One of my friends took her three year old to see it the other day and as she was buying the tickets, the attendant told her that if the movie gets too scary for Bailey, feel free to bring him back out and she will refund her money. Apparently this had been the case with quite a few small children. But little Bailey soldiered on. He apparently got scared in a few bits, but was happy to stay until the end. In other words, “A Christmas Carol” is more of an adult animation. There were even bits I thought were a bit too full on!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The latest interpretation of Charles Dicken’s masterpiece, “A Christmas Carol” comes at the hand of Robert Zemekis. The new, animated version of the timeless classic is beautifully made and is an extremely unique interpretation that still remains true to the original story. It exhibits how much computer generated animation can now achieve and is truly impressive.

For those that don’t know the story, Ebenezer Scrooge( Jim Carrey) lives a lonely life consumed by his wealth and greed. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by his past and long dead business partner who informs him that tonight he will be visited by three ghosts, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmases Yet To Come. This version is quite dark and at times, can be disturbing. Although it is by the Disney company and looks harmless enough, it is definitely not a children’s movie. There are several images that would not seem out of place in a horror movie in terms of their fright factor, especially those of Jacob Marley.

However, the images, gruesome or not in some parts, are amazing. This film is definitely a credit to Zemekis and his direction. It is clearly obvious on screen who Jim Carrey is, as well as Gary Oldman in his portrayal of Bob Cratchit and Colin Firth as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. Carrey’s Scrooge is extremely well constructed as it shows his sadistic and pessimistic nature right down to the tiniest detail, and the changes throughout the movie to the character are well portrayed. Even though it is animation, it is still very easy to pickup on Carrey’s mannerisms and facial expressions. Credit must be paid to him for portraying an old man so successfully, even if it is in animation!

The only criticism with “A Christmas Carol” is that it can feel in some sequences that Zemekis is trying to show off the amazing things that animation is able to do these days. This can lead to some sequences being longer than they have to be. However, in saying this, these sequences are still beautiful and it is indeed amazing what animation of this kind can do nowadays. Otherwise, it is extremely hard to find another criticism for this movie. It is a movie that everyone should see before Christmas and is likely to get you in the Christmas spirit. Just don’t expect it to be light and fluffy because it is clearly not a happy Christmas movie for the majority of the film. The film is dark, but it is still incredibly beautiful and a great version of a classic using modern technology.

8.5/10