Nov 6: Arthur Christmas

"On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission."

Directed by: Sarah Smith & Barry Cook, Rated: PG, 97 minutes

Aardman Animations Studio has been rather hit and miss for me lately, with Pirates! Band of Misfits being one of the year's more disappointing movies, in my opinion. Luckily, their animated flick of last year (that's JUST hitting DVD), Arthur Christmas, restores my faith in the House of Gromit and gave me a new Christmas movie I may watch every year (you've got company The Muppet Christmas Carol!). Arthur Christmas is a terrific holiday film and the perfect jump-start to my scrooge reluctance for another Christmas. It's a unique movie that does a lot of new things with Santa, a character seemingly raped to death with ideas and adaptations, and creates a film that's not only hilarious, but has plenty of heart and a good message.

Space Santa!

In the world of Arthur Christmas, Santa Claus is not the same man every year, but a descendant in a long-line of Santas. The current St. Nick (Jim Broadbent) is getting far too old to continue his jolly "reign" and soon has plans to give over the title to his son, Steve (Hugh Laurie), a hard-working, organized, almost-militant man who leads the elves and the top-notch technology that helps Santa deliver gifts to all of the kids of the world. Arthur (James McAvoy) is Santa's youngest son, and the most genuinely excited about the holiday every year. As opposed to Steve, he looks forward to bringing joy to the children of the world, instead of simply just doing a job that needs to get done. After a gift that was promised to a little girl goes undelivered, Arthur, along with Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), Byrony the elf (Ashley Jensen), a raggedy old reindeer, and an obsolete sled, make it their mission to deliver the bike before sunrise, refusing to let even one child go a Christmas without a gift from Santa.

One little bike could ruin Christmas. I hope it's a Schwinn. 

Arthur Christmas takes the Santa character and lore to new heights. In a day and age like today, you'd assume that Santa would have to adapt with newer and better technologies, and the film shows this in glorious fashion. It's incredibly clever in the present delivery techniques and turns Santa into a toy distributing enterprise. In contrast, the film also screams out for a return to the classic and traditional, and in a sense, reminds us that there's much more to Christmas than fancy gadgets and Apple products. Arthur Christmas is also genuinely funny, and the overly-British, simple humor that Aardman Animations has become known for is definitely present. It never crosses into the territory of crazy innuendo but succeeds solely on clever humor and smart dialogue. The movie feels genuine in every sense of the word and is a pleasant surprise.

Post-House, Hugh Laurie continues to deliver. 

With a terrific voice cast and a refreshing take on a too-familiar story. While it  is far from perfect, it's an exceptional addition to the ever-growing encyclopedia of Christmas films and proves that there's still great stories to be told about Santa Claus. It's funny, it's animated beautifully, and it actually keeps you interested and is not some kid's fluffy film you just tolerate in the background. I would highly recommend checking Arthur Christmas out and if you had not been in the Christmas spirit like me, it's sure to inspire some sort of yule-tide affection hiding inside.

The Good:

terrific visuals that continues to show the talent at Aardman Animations

The Better:

great humor with tons of heart

The Best:

a new spin on the Santa Claus story that doesn't feel forced or unncessary

Overall: 8.2/10

Discussion Question: What's your favorite modern Christmas movie?

Trailer:

Oct 18: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

"British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways."

Directed by: John Madden, Rated: PG-13, 124 minutes

When I first saw a trailer for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, I assumed it would be a safe movie you can watch with your grandparents, have a few laughs, and easily waste a couple of hours with a nice little movie. After seeing the movie, all of these thoughts have been changed, and the movie turns out to be something remarkable, spiritual, and much more profound than anything I expected. I have to give myself a little slap on the wrist for thinking so lightly of this movie, as in complete honesty, it's easily one of the best movies of 2012. Oh, and it has an incredible cast. 

British and over 60? Welcome aboard!

The film follows a bunch of retired people that are all looking for a way out of their regular lives. Evelyn (Judi Dench) is trying to cope with the loss of her husband and wants to travel the world, something she never had the opportunity to do so. Graham (Tom Wilkinson) has a past he's trying to reconnect with and hopes to visit some people he grew up with. Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton) are a newly retired couple that aren't happy with their home and want something more full of life and energy. Muriel (Maggie Smith) is a racist old woman who needs a hip replaced and the only place to do the surgery sooner than later is out of the country, much to her dissatisfaction. Madge (Celia Imrie) and Norman (Ronald Pickup) are two old-timers that are very young in the mind and are rather promiscuous. All of these older people come together in a hotel in India, run by Sonny (Dev Patel), a young man trying to turn the rather lackluster hotel into something much more grand. As all of these men and women begin to understand the complexities of India and its people, they all go through their own changes, mostly for the best. 

Oh, Wilkinson! You crazy!*

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is very unexpected and quite the treat. It's a lovely little film that shows the struggles of those thought to be past their prime and the youth and life they discover in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The film is sweet, never forced, and genuinely funny. I rarely laugh at loud at movies (it takes a lot to impress me) and I let out plenty of chuckles throughout the film, either be it at hearing something I'd never expect one of these actors to say, or the sheer brilliance of the script. All of the cast are exceptional and even the young Dev Patel handles his own incredibly well. His character is very much a throwback to the classic optimistic and overwhelmed characters you'd see in something from the 50s or 60s and yet he manages to maintain a sincerity to the rather cartoon character he plays. The movie also features plenty of scenes that pull at your heart strings and leave you "with something in your eye". The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a movie that wraps you in with the cast and humor and leaves you happier and more satisfied than you could imagine (in a non-dirty way). 

Although, she'll have you either way. 

I would highly recommend The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. As I mentioned, it's easily one of the best movies of the year and deserves to be talked about come the end of the year. After watching The Darjeeling Limited in 2007, I was immediately fascinated with India and have always wanted to travel there. With this film, that craving reemerges and director John Madden does a fabulous job at capturing the culture, the people, and even the modernizing of one of the most interesting countries in the world. I really love this movie and hope that you'll look past the rather generic, yet simple trailers and give The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a shot. You won't be disappointed. 

The Good:

a great little look at India, from its people to its culture and even the food

The Better:

having a terrific cast come together for a film that's not only fun, but means a lot more than you'd think

The Best:

an ending that's sweet enough to be happy with and not feel like it's what you'd expect, even though you have a rough idea of where it's heading

Overall: 8.5/10

Trailer:

*I whole-heartily love this man.