d.rust
This showed up after I fell asleep watching a rerun of CSI. I had already consulted the EPG to see that it was all about the guy who invented Christmas. Oh crap. Not another one of those Hallmark whodunit turds about some mid-40s lady who sells Poinsettias in an Ontario town tricked up to look like Someplace USA, solving murders that are hardly likely.No.The movie begins right away, no opening title, no list of actors. I had already shut down the computer, it was cold as hell and I could see my breath in the glow of the screen. And, it was THAT GUY! Gee, I know that guy, that's Dan Stevens who I liked in Downton Abbey, who already did some other crappy Night at the Museum sequel, but I like him. His portrayal of Dickens as a manic, driven author, swamped by piling debts, a household of distractions, a family screaming in utter enjoyment, and besieged by his parents, particularly his father who is beleaguered by petty debts -- is inspired, reminiscent of Rupert Everett in "An Ideal Husband".Dickens' father seems a robust character played by (to my great surprise) one of my favourite actors, Jonathan Pryce. But, as Master Thespian would say in SNL skits: it was ACTING! So, there was none of the "Don't Cry for Me" or "I'm a stickler for paperwork" that we have seen in his work. Pryce is hidden behind a beard playing this lovable old soul.Dickens gets started on his project while we are tickled with obvious clues and visuals suggesting the story is starting to congeal. He struggles with his protagonist's name: Scrunger, Scrimpole, Scumper. I uselessly suggest to no-one in particular what it is, until Dickens finally utters it: SCROOGE.And then I hear the unmistakable voice: Plummer appears, backlit, face in shadow, voice wavering a little with age, but strong in defense of his character's miserly ways.This is a movie with great fun, enjoyable scenes, spinning a tale about an eternal tale we have seen a hundred times in a dozen incarnations, whether Alastair Sim, Mr Magoo or Bill Murray: we know the story. And with this film, we know the story behind making this classic. You'll enjoy it.
beorhhouse
This film does for Dickens what no other film has ever done. It gives insight into his masterpiece A Christmas Carol. Not that insight is needed, but it is much appreciated notwithstanding. There are similar elements of the ridiculous film Pandaemonium here (over-excitedness and hyper-emotion), which is why I only give it a 9/10. Still, this film is a delight for the whole family, even if the aged waiter in the public house vulgarly (and comically) wrestles with a wine bottle held between his legs until the cork pops.
AudioFileZ
Dicken's Christmas Carol is no doubt a classic. The original film British production is too. That's the one you need and not the later day versions and re-imaginations. Now though there is a worthy alternate version in the guise of the story behind Charles Dicken's creation of the book. This is an interesting angle and and we see how Dicken's himself was fighting his own inner Scrooge leanings compounded by his suddenly run of poor book sales. This is worthy because it has the very human elements running through it that make A Christmas Carol so wonderful.Dan Stevens as Dickens creates a memorable character with lots of emotional as well as financial strain from which to play off of. He brings a nervous tension of things falling apart while he pedals hard to keep it all together. Keeping it together rides on his reversal of recent writing fortune so the stakes are quite high as he's used up his publisher's will to coddle him. He's on his own and it propels his madness into quite a stir. Christopher Plummer is a natural for Scrooge and he's excellent without breaking a sweat which he wisely does as he never overplays the role. Maybe one of the most endearing characters is quite unexpected, it's Dicken's father John played with aplomb by the wonderful Jonathan Pryce. Surrounding these central characters with a great supporting cast in a spot-on period London filmed with grand cinematography is extremely romantic and engaging. Seeing Dicken's toil to bring the story to birth becomes another telling of the story itself. Simply wonderful!
