The Man Who Invented Christmas
4 stars
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Stars: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce
Duration: 104 mins
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd
I will readily confess to being a tad ‘bah-humbug-y’ when it comes to Christmas, though not to a large degree. I do partake in some of the partying. I happily buy presents for my loved ones, and do make the effort to grace my home with a tiny tree and a couple of subtle decorations.
But I’m certainly not one of those people who start to plan their Christmas shopping in January or begin to play Christmas carols in earnest on November 1. I like to think I strike a happy medium.
That said, The Man Who Invented Christmas did instil some warm and fuzzy feelings in me which were unusual to say the least, in its telling of Charles Dickens’s (an excellent Dan Stevens) surprisingly obstacle-laden journey to create what was to become his most beloved tale – A Christmas Carol, which was published in 1843 and which, I was fascinated to discover, almost never saw the light of day.
Effortlessly captures the themes of tradition, family and generosity that are celebrated in the book
The film, based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Les Standiford, recounts how the prolific and admittedly rather profligate author risked serious financial issues and suffered a horrific case of writer’s block after enduring three flops in a row.
After overhearing his kitchen maid Tara recounting a scary Christmas folk tale to his children, he is inspired to write a Christmas story. This is an idea that is met with scepticism from his publishers, who believed no-one would want to read it.
Undeterred – and desperate for money – Dickens took the rash decision to publish the book himself (thankfully ditching Humbug – A Miser’s Lament as a title) albeit having to face the daunting task of writing, illustrating, printing and having it in bookstores in time for Christmas. Which, by the way, was only six weeks away.
The exquisite narrative, lightness of touch and depth of character that permeate the script by Susan Coyne are brought to the fore by director Bharat Nalluri, with one aspect of the film in particular standing out. It is known that the author carried out ‘conversations’ with his characters as he created them and here, the legendary Scrooge becomes not merely a fixture in Dickens’s imagination.
He is also an invaluable, if unwilling, co-writer. In the guise of a superb Christopher Plummer, he brings to the character an obviously gloomy and cantankerous, yet witty and strangely likable, side. It’s a delightful turn from Stevens, who effortlessly channels the inner turmoil and outer emotions of a man facing a midlife crisis. This is a man who suddenly can’t write, can’t face his peers, is horrified when his wife Kate (Morfydd Clark) announces she’s pregnant (again). He gets all snotty with the staff and lets his inner resentment towards his father boil over, while his creative genius is sparked and he becomes a whirlwind of activity as he creates what will become a masterpiece.
The Man who Invented Christmas effortlessly captures the themes of tradition, family and generosity that are celebrated in the book. It is an excellent way to introduce children to the wonders of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Suffice it to say it certainly made me want to read it again.
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The Disaster Artist: When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.