Film highlights, Christmas 2013

27 November 2013

The Snowman, Channel 4

Channel 4's most celebrated animation is this classic story from Raymond Briggs. It's Christmas Eve and a little boy decides to make a snowman. During the night, the snowman comes to life and whisks the boy off to the North Pole for a meeting with a Very Important Person. Dir: Dianne Jackson; Prod: John Coates; Prod Co: TVC London, Snowman Enterprises (1982)

The Snowman and The Snowdog, Channel 4

A charming animated sequel to Raymond Briggs's classic The Snowman. When a young boy, Billy, and his mother move house, he discovers a box hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom. In the box, he finds a hat, scarf, some lumps of coal and a shrivelled tangerine - it's a snowman-making kit! When it begins to snow the child builds a Snowman and, with some spare snow, a Snowdog. That night, at the stroke of midnight, the Snowman and the Snowdog magically come to life! Billy awakes and joins them on an amazing adventure, flying over London and onwards to the North Pole, where they join Snowmen and Snowwomen from around the world. The boy and his new companions meet an assortment of colourful characters, and even get the opportunity to meet Father Christmas himself, before returning home, where a wonderful surprise awaits Billy... Raymond Briggs's iconic children's book The Snowman was adapted for television in 1982 and has been screened by Channel 4 every year since its first transmission. For the 30th anniversary of the original film, Briggs gave his blessing to this sequel, which is dedicated to the late John Coates, who produced the original film.

The Muppets Christmas Carol, Channel 4

The Muppets take on Dickens’ festive classic, directed by Brian Henson, starring a remarkably game Michael Caine as Scrooge, with Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as his wife and Gonzo as Charles Dickens himself, acting as the narrator (with the help of Rizzo the rat). All elements of the story are faithfully adhered to, albeit it interspersed with songs, and the conclusion is as heart-warming as in Dickens’ original. (1992) 80 mins U

Deck the Halls, Channel 4

Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito star in John in Whitesell’s festive comedy. For years, Steve Finch (Broderick) has celebrated Christmas with co-ordinated festive family sweater-wearing, carol singing and a tasteful tree out front. His new neighbour, Buddy Hall (DeVito), festoons his home with so many lights that his ambition is to be visible from outer space. As hostilities escalate, the neighbours go head to head with runaway sleighs, incontinent festive animals and a speed-skating challenge, as their wives (Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth) look on in despair. (2006) 87 mins PG

Scrooged, Channel 4

Bill Murray stars in Richard Donner’s comedic take on the Dickens classic as Frank Cross, a misanthropic, penny-pinching TV executive whose career rests on producing a ratings-busting version of A Christmas Carol (with US gymnast Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim). And just before Christmas, he’s visited by the three ghosts... Featuring Carol Kane as a scene-stealing, psychopathically violent Ghost of Christmas Present. (1988) 93 mins PG

It’s a Wonderful Life, Channel 4

Frank Capra’s evergreen comedy drama stars James Stewart as George Bailey, an ambitious young man condemned by circumstance to stay in smalltown Bedford Falls, where he marries his childhood sweetheart (Donna Reid) and runs a small bank with his forgetful uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell). But, on Christmas Eve, Uncle Billy makes a mistake that leaves George facing disgrace and prison, and deciding to end it all. Enter bumbling angel Clarence Oddbody (Henry Travers), who shows him how the town and his friends and family would have fared if he had never existed. Can Clarence convince George that his is a wonderful life, and earn his own wings? Also starring Lionel Barrymore as Mr Potter, Bedford Falls' ruthless loan shark. (1947) 124 mins PG

The Nativity Story, Channel 4

Catherine Hardwicke’s account of the birth of Christ stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary and Oscar Isaac as Joseph. From the appearance of the angel Gabriel (Alexander Siddig), through Joseph’s acceptance that she is indeed carrying the Son of God, to their trip to Bethlehem, the film is always respectful, with strong performances from the two leads who portray very real human emotions rather than those of saints. (2006) 93 mins PG

Home Alone 3, Channel 4

Raja Gosnell directs this third film in the successful comedy series, written by John Hughes, who directed the first two. Alex D Linz plays Alex Pruitt, stranded at home with chickenpox. His dad is away on business and his mum is out all day. By a series of coincidences, a top secret US Air Force microchip comes into his possession - and four crooks are out to steal it to sell it to the enemy. But they haven’t reckoned on Alex’s ability to improvise deadly booby traps from everyday household items. As with the first two movies, once the plot is in place, there are a series of satisfying set pieces, with the baddies continually outwitted by Alex in this fun-filled film. (1997) 95 mins PG

White Christmas, Channel 4

Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney star in this festive family favourite from prolific director Michael Curtiz. Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis (Kaye) are friends who met while serving in World War II and have subsequently become a very successful song-and-dance team. They meet singing sisters Betty (Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) at a nightclub in Florida and, with a hint of romance in the air, together head off to rural Vermont, where the girls are booked to appear at a ski lodge. When they arrive, they discover that the place is run by the men's former commanding officer, Major General Waverly (Dean Jagger), who's in dire financial straits because unseasonably warm weather is keeping the snow at bay. So the four entertainers make plans to bail him out by staging a spectacular musical benefit show… Shot in Technicolor, the film was the first to be released in the high-resolution widescreen VistaVision format and, with its songs written by Irving Berlin, the movie was the year's top box-office hit. (1954) 120 mins PG

Big, Channel 4

Tom Hanks received a best actor Oscar nomination for his role in Penny Marshall’s comedy drama. Josh Baskin (David Moscow) is on the cusp of adolescence and eager to grow up. One day, he makes a wish at a fortune-telling machine and the next morning he wakes up as an adult (played by Hanks). His childish ways win him a job with MacMillan Toys, where his colleague Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) can’t understand why he doesn’t respond to her advances. But after a while Josh realises he misses home and the joys that growing up will hold, and he sets out to find the fortune-telling machine, hoping to change things back to how they were before. (1988) 97 mins 12

The Inbetweeners Movie, Channel 4

Series creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley, together with director Ben Palmer, bring their bawdy E4 hit, The Inbetweeners, to the big screen. Like the TV series, the movie (a Film4 production) was a massive hit, claiming the biggest box office take for a comedy that the UK has ever seen. The show's stars Simon Bird (Will), Joe Thomas (Simon), Blake Harrison (Neil) and James Buckley (Jay) are all present, though definitely not correct. The lads have now finished sixth form and have decided to celebrate with a holiday in Malia on the island of Crete. They naturally see this as the perfect opportunity to grab as much sun, sea and sex as possible. Unfortunately their insecurities and dire approaches to any woman unfortunate enough to cross their path means it looks as though, apart from Neil, they'll have to content themselves with drinking and clubbing instead. Unless, of course, they treat the first four girls they meet - Alison (Laura Haddock), Lucy (Tamla Kari), Lisa (Jessica Knappet) and Jane (Lydia Rose Bewley) - with a little more respect…(2011) 90 mins 15

A Field in England, Channel 4

Michael Smiley and Reece Shearsmith star in this psychedelic trip into magic and madness from Ben Wheatley, award-winning director of Down Terrace, Kill List and Sightseers. During the English Civil War, a small group of deserters, including the lacemaker and alchemist’s assistant, Whitehead (Shearsmith) flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O'Neil (Smiley) and Cutler (Ryan Pope). O’Neil, an alchemist himself, forces the group to aid him in search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provided their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia; as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field. Also starring Julian Barratt, Peter Ferdinando and Richard Glover. Shot in black and white. A Film4.0 production. This was the first UK film to be simultaneously released in the cinema, on DVD, via video-on-demand and on television. (2013) 90 mins 15

Never Let Me Go, Channel 4

Director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) and writer Alex Garland (28 Days Later) team up to adapt Remains of the Day author Kazuo Ishiguro's introspective sci-fi novel about a group of unsuspecting boarding-school students. Sheltered teens Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) are hungry to explore the real world outside of the parameters of their childhood, but their dreams of freedom are soon stifled when they learn the truth about themselves. In addition to confronting their own mortality, all three must come to terms with a lifetime of emotions and unfulfilled longings while pondering their true purpose for being. (2010) 104 minutes 12A

4.3.2.1, Film4

Tamsin Egerton, Emma Roberts, Ophelia Lovibond and Shanika Warren-Markland star in writer-director Noel Clarke's (Kidulthood and Adulthood) fast-paced comedy crime-thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly get entangled with diamond thieves. The action begins in a café in London, where the four 19-year-olds briefly meet up before setting out on their separate paths. The narrative then takes place over the course of three days, and is (re)told, in turn, from each woman's perspective. Joanne (Roberts) is an American living in London and working at a minimarket managed by Tee (Clarke). Cassandra (Egerton) is a gifted pianist who's about to jet off to New York to audition for the chance to study under a famous teacher and hopefully meet a man she's developed an online relationship with. Shannon (Lovibond) is a gifted artist whose home life is imploding; and Kerrys (Warren-Markland) is a feisty lesbian who's equally adept at martial arts and putting men in their place. But to discover why they get mixed up with the stolen diamonds, how a tube of Pringles plays a pivotal role to the plot, and, perhaps, why they spend so much time in their underwear, well, you'll just have to watch the movie… Film4 premiere. (2010) 109 mins 15

Sightseers, Film 4

Alice Lowe and Steve Oram teamed up to write and star in this dark and violent comedy-drama, directed by Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace, Kill List). They look such an ordinary couple, but these Midlands' lovebirds prove anything but. Chris (Oram) is the proud owner of an Abbey Oxford caravan and adores few things more than exploring the glories of the British countryside. So, when presented with the opportunity to whisk his new girlfriend, Tina (Lowe), off to see such heady sights as Keswick's Pencil Museum, Crich Tramway Village and the Ribblehead Viaduct, he jumps at it. Though, to be honest, the sheltered Tina seems keener on the journey's erotic possibilities. But, almost as soon as their odyssey has begun, an awful accident completely changes the tenor of their trip. And, from then on, only the exceedingly unwise do anything to cross the increasingly malevolent pair… With Eileen Davies as Tina's oppressive mother. A Film4 production. Film4 premiere.(2012) 82 mins 15

Troll Hunter, Film 4

Norwegian writer-director André Øvredal's second feature is a mildly scary, very funny fantasy-horror that perfectly exploits the legends of its Nordic setting. Three film students set out to document a curious case of illegal bear-poaching. The youthful trio – excitable Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), grounded Johanna (Johanna Mørck) and their sardonic cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) – quickly establish the man they need to interview is the dour and evasive Hans (Otto Jespersen). But, despite the older man's gruff refusal to help, the trio follow him on one of his night-time forays into the pine forest, where they discover that Hans is after bigger, far more terrifying and deadly prey than bears. Suddenly they learn that their folklore is a shocking reality, and that the government is hiding a terrible truth from the populace. But, rather than fleeing the danger, the three beg Hans to let them continue filming. He agrees, as long as they promise that none of them is Christian… It could have been a daft comic romp, but Øvredal's film succeeds brilliantly melding wry humour with great special effects, perfectly-judged deadpan acting and ever-rising tension. In Norwegian with English subtitles. Film4 premiere.(2010) 99 mins 15