StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

frankxia1 I never tried understand the origin of Christmas and Santa Claus after years I grown up. I must say that I almost forget the meaning of Christmas. After this movie, all memories just came out from my mind, all memories from my childhood and so deeply buried there. All blurs are getting more and more clear. Even the day I received my first Christmas present. At that night, my mother told me the tales about Christmas and Santa Claus. At that night, I couldn't fall asleep and tried my best opened my eyes to wait Santa. But last thing I remembered was the moon, it was so big and bright....... After so many years, this remarkable movie has brought all these beautiful things back to me again, especially, it is before the Christmas. I must say what a coincidence!Anyway, I highly recommended you to watch this movie, especially with your families before the Christmas. And, I also hope you can remember all good things again!

random_avenger Americans may think Santa Claus lives in North Pole but in Finland everybody knows the truth about his place of residence: he is really from the Korvatunturi fell in Finnish Lapland. Based on this premise is also built Christmas Story, the second feature film of director Juha Wuolijoki who was previously best known for the peculiar culinary TV comedy Gourmet Club (2004) featuring the sturdy Michael Badalucco among others.As opposed to presenting later adventures of the Santa we all know, Christmas Story sets out to reveal how he originally became what he is nowadays seen as. At the beginning a young boy named Nikolas (Jonas Rinne) becomes orphaned in Northern Finland sometime in the mid-19th century and the compassionate villagers start taking turns in looking after him, always for one year at a time. The thankful Nikolas takes up secretly leaving small presents for the friendly families every Christmas but upon the arrival of the great famine years, the villagers have no choice but to give the boy in the custody of the seemingly brutal and feared hermit carpenter Iisakki (Kari Väänänen). While learning the secrets of woodwork under the guidance of his strict new master, Nikolas never forgets the good people who once helped him and keeps making new presents for every Christmas.I admit I was sceptical about the movie long before seeing it since Christmas movies have a history of being corny cheesefests and this one appeared to be no exception. Things were not helped by the fact that it also marked the acting debut of the highly popular but tremendously charisma-free pop star Antti Tuisku whose involvement felt like a cheap attempt to cater to the masses at the expense of professional casting. Luckily, I was proved wrong: the story is actually pretty down-to-earth and keeps the most obvious tearjerking clichés at arm's length at all times. Kari Väänänen does a great job as the scary Iisakki who is revealed to be a bitter and sad old man under his hateful surface and Hannu-Pekka Björkman is excellent as the heavily bearded adult Nikolas. The kid actor Otto Gustavsson is given a decent-sized role as the 13-year old Nikolas but gives no reasons to complain and Antti Tuisku's role is kept small enough to not get too distracting after all. I really hope the dubbing does not ruin the performances for viewers outside Finland.Although the origins of a few obligatory Santa trademarks are of course presented (namely, how he got the reindeer, started dressing in red and became dedicated to his cause), the plot is not concerned with the real folkloristic roots of the historical Sinterklaas. Instead, the main focus is wisely kept on the characters and their development over the many decades the story covers. Nikolas is a thoroughly sympathetic man but can also be seen as a tragic loner driven by an obsession stemming from past traumas. Loneliness, fear of growing old, slipping further and further down into a crazed world of his own... He is not free of problems but fights them in his own way. Eh, maybe I'm digging too deep into the story but hey, isn't that the fun thing about watching movies anyway?Technically Christmas Story is "at international level" like we Finns like to say about movies that do not look cozily clumsy and home-baked. The numerous shots of snowy scenery, the softly lit interiors and the elaborate carpentry equipment in Iisakki and Nikolas' workshop look all good and the score by Leri Leskinen is adequately dramatic and expressive throughout, even if also sentimental and overbearing at times. The sole supernatural scene at the end comes closest to the traditional American image of Santa; I am not sure if it fits in the earthy tone that has been maintained in earlier scenes but I guess a flashy finale was needed to ensure the aforementioned feel of "international quality".After five rambling paragraphs, all I wanted to say was that I was positively surprised by the movie and think it is a well made holiday season film. It pleasantly avoids promoting consumerism or ramming a corny pro-nuclear family message down the throats of the audience. Perhaps some braver stylization could have raised the movie even higher above mediocre Christmas romp but it is definitely quality family entertainment as it is now too – peaceful, lovable and able to hold the interest of older viewers as well.

snobahr I love holiday films. I also love good fairy tales (and I don't mean "good" to mean "cleaned up and sanitized for our protection"). So, when a good fairy tale and holiday film get together and give birth to a wonderful film, I'm very happy. The film isn't "pleasant," but it has a lot of heart-warming sequences. It's not "fun," but it does help to anchor the fact that all situations have more than one side to be told. It has some humour (at least, in the English dubbed version), and the voice acting was very good. The scenery was beautiful. As somebody else said, it's not good for children under 10 to watch, unless a parent or older friend/relative are watching it too, who can answer what or why things happened. I watched the film, cried a lot, smiled a good deal, and sighed with contentment at the end. Definitely a film to watch with a cup of cocoa and a disinclination to go out, afterwards.

hasosch In most parts of Europe, St. Nicholas comes on the 6th of December, together with Knecht Ruprecht/Krampus/Schmutzli and equipped with a huge bag in order to throw the children therein who did not obey their parents during the year past. For the other children, the strange couple has nuts, oranges, apples, perhaps chocolate. But before St. Nicholas decides what to do with the children, they must recite a little poem, may it be self-made or learned by heart.In the Northern Part of Europe, originating from England and in the whole USA, also originating from England, however, St. Nicholas appears on Christmas Day bringing the children their gifts. (In Europe the Christkind itself bring the parcels on the 24th of December ... .) According to what the children, when they become older, learn, is that St. Nicholas of Myra has been a historical figure, who lived in the 3./4. centuries. However, when you look how many Patrocinia of a Nicholas there are in the Christian world, then it is clear that we cannot speak about one single person. That St. Nicholas of Myra has not been thrown out of the lists of Saints during the 2. Vatican Council (like St. George, St. Michael, St. Christoph ...) is a wonder of itself.Now, Lappland comes with a quite new, a modern and alternative interpretation: Little Nicholas became an orphan when his parents had a lethal accident on their way to seek the doctor for helping their little daughter. Since the place where Nicholas lived was a very poor fishermen's village, no family could afford to take the little boy to them. There, the priest had an idea: Each of the families should give him shelter, nourish him and care for him during one year. And always at Christmas time, in remembrance to the day when his parents died, he should change families. And so it happened. Until the boy had reached an age of about twelve years and already proved great talent in wood-carving. Then, the old and strange Isaac offered him to stay with him and learn to become a wood-craftsman. So, Nicholas grew up with the grumpy but goodhearted old man and lived with him until Isaac had do be picked up by his family because of his high age. And every year, Nicholas would carve his little wooden animals for all the children - steadily enlarging his area of distribution. And nobody know who the "Christmas-Man" was, until a nosy little girl found out Nicholas' secret. Not long after, it must have happened that God decided to take Nicholas amongst the Saints and give him his deserved place in heaven. While his closest friends stood sad on the frozen surface of the lake in which Nicholas parents and sister died, the little girl called her parents: Look up, there! And in the Heaven, St. Nicholas drove with a long carriage pulled by rein-deers through the skies, wishing every child and every parent Marry Christmas. --- An absolute highlight!