Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett
There are more than enough Christmas films to get one through three or four Decembers. Many of them are of the Hallmark and Netflix original variety which is to say that they are unoriginal, uninteresting and predictable. They feature D list actors (with an occasional washed up star slumming) and mediocre production values. The actors are all too pretty and the stories teeter tend toward the saccharine.
There are also Christmas classics that are indispensable parts of the holidays. These include such films as It’s A Wonderful Life, Christmas in Connecticut, Home Alone and it’s immediate sequel, Elf, the original Miracle on 34 Street, The Bishop’s Wife and a few of the versions of A Christmas Carol, particularly the Alastair Sim edition from 1951.
A few newer Christmas films are wedging their way into the conversation such as The Holdovers, The Happiest Season and A Boy Called Christmas.
But I’d like to focus on a half dozen very unconventional Christmas adjacent pictures. These are stories that are set at Christmas and in which the fact of Christmas is very much part of the story. However they are not the least bit sappy or sentimental, indeed they have some rough edges. A few likely get a lot of play around this time of year but none are Christmas season staples. Five of the six are from this century. One last thing about them, they’re all damn good movies. True, not your traditional Christmas fare but we've got plenty of those.
Tangerine (2015) Baker. One could certainly argue that this is more of a signature Sean Baker film than a Christmas one. It’s the first of his pictures I ever saw and I couldn’t wait to see more. It’s as un-Christmasy a Christmas film as you’ll ever find. It’s set on December 24 but in the mean streets of Los Angeles. Not only is there a total absence of snow (in a Christmas movie!) but as evidenced by everyone’s attire, it’s a very warm day. The focus here is on a transgender sex worker named Sin-Dee Rella who’s just been released from the hoosegow. Our heroine (?) discovers that her (?) pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. With a fellow tranny sex worker in tow she goes in search of the cheater. Many adventures ensue. We also follow an Armenian-American cab driver and his adventures which ultimately collide with Sin-Dee. Remember, it’s set on Christmas Eve! It’s also another example of Baker’s excellence as a director/writer/editor.
A Christmas Tale (2008) Desplechin. First of all it’s French which might be disqualifying for some people but good Christmas films are not exclusive to the U.S.It features what should be a standard of holiday fare: the dysfunctional family. This unhappy brood is gathering for Christmas at their matriarch’s home having just discovered that said mother has cancer. What could go wrong? It’s a surprisingly accessible film as heavy issues are treated with a light touch. The cast is stellar led by Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric. It’s an award-winning film that was all over 2008 top ten movie lists. Deservedly so.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) Helander. Us Finns claim Santa Claus as our own — actually that would be Joulu Pukki. So it’s natural that we should have a produced an outstanding Christmas film and being made Finns it’s a bit odd. I’ve seen it described as an action/horror/comedy. I might quibble a bit with the horror label but there’s no arguing that it’s got action and comedy and it’s most definitely a Christmas movie. It should be noted that this film’s version of Santa is no jolly fat man and the elves depicted are not full of holiday cheer. It is a very dark version of the Santa Claus mythology that’s not for the little kiddies. It’s highly original and great fun and worth a look.
Bad Santa (2003) Zwigoff. As the title suggests this is a dark comedy. You’re also prepared for that knowing that Billy Bob Thornton is in the lead. Add to that the fact that the Coen Brothers were executive producers. It was both a critical and commercial success but doesn’t seem to resonate with audiences today. More’s the pity. Bad Santa is the story of a thief who, with the aid of a diminutive elf-like partner conspire to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. All does not go as planned. Not exactly a feel good story but a good story for sure.
Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) Jutra. It’s set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there’s snow a plenty and the residents of the small mining town that provides the setting are all enthused about the holiday. There’s also a dead body, that of a young teen and his bereaved family not the usual stuff of a Yuletide film. This is a French Canadian picture and it’s not only highly suitable for the holiday season it’s an excellent movie that comes highly recommended by me and others. This touching story is told through the eyes of a fifteen-year old lad named Benoit. It is social and political history from its time (set in 1949) but it’s also perfectly charming.
Carol (2015) Haynes. A lesbian affair for your holiday season. This is a brilliant film from Todd Haynes. It’s set in 1952-53 and you immediately feel transported to that time and that place which is mostly New York. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara co-star and are both excellent as is the rest of the cast. Ms. Blanchett plays the title character a married woman of means who falls for a shopgirl (Mara). She is going through a separation from her husband and the custody of their young daughter is in question. The affair will be a black mark against her. What’s all this got to do with Christmas? Not a whole lot but it begins as Carol is Christmas shopping and is waited on by her future lover. It continues through the holiday and later New Year’s Eve. A New York Christmas in the ‘50s looks lovely.
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