Seeing as it will only be five more sleeps till the fat guy comes down the stairs and delivers your gifts, I thought it would be rather stupid of me not to get festive. And just like stores around the world exploit the season to its fullest. So here is my top five Christmas films, all subjective and totally my own opinion.
Number Five: Elf.
How could anyone's favourite Christmas film list not contain this iconic Will Ferrel's iconic character Buddy? Well mine nearly didn't. Yes, I had arrived late to the Elf hype, being only last year when I finally watched the film, however that does not mean that this hilarious comedy does deserve a place in my top five.
Ferrel is certainly the tour de force behind this picture, and with Favreau's jolly direction, the jingle is certainly felt throughout this caper. Buddy is a masterful creation: the perfect blend of child-like innocence and sheer insanity.
Simply put if you have not watched Elf yet do not make the mistake I made, you certainly won't be short of laughs.
Number Four: A Nightmare Before Christmas.
Many may consider this an odd choice for a festive film, especially seeing as the majority of the narrative we are in a setting called Halloween Town. But, who cares, this is a terrifically beautiful and intelligent movie that really unearths the true meaning of the Holidays from an outsiders prospective.
Tim Burton, although not directing, is really the brains behind the success of A Nightmare Before Christmas. This is a film that really does exceed with its visuals. The stop motion animation has a beauty of its own, and when you combine that with the disjointed, as well as disturbed, images conjured up by Burton and Co the results are wonderful.
Jack Skeleton is desperately trying to seek out something new, and perhaps the most resonating scene is when The Pumpkin King himself wonders into Christmas Town for the first time. The music, along with, as per usual, the tremendous visuals, are just captivating and speak to the meaning of Christmas as a time of enjoyment and curiosity.
Number Three: How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
This is my personal favourite comedy that is always watched by me and my family around Christmas. This Jim Carey lead unrelenting train of insanity is the archetypal example of what a Christmas comedy should be.
For anyone who has lived under a rock for god knows how long, How The Grinch Stole Christmas is the story of the completely anti-festive Grinch, a creature plagued by the festivities of Who-Ville. Acting upon impulse, and with his trusty companion Max the dog, he decides that the Whos do not deserve a Christmas this year.
I am a diehard Jim Carey fan, and this performance is not for those who despise his overly exaggerated brand of acting. However, for people like me this is just gold dust. The quick line, obscene voices and maddening movements are just hilarious to behold. Oh and there is a wonderful moral, but I think we should thank Dr Suess for that one, not Carey.
Number Two: Die Hard.
Christmas would not be Christmas if John McClane was just having a nice turkey dinner with the family. Instead, to ensure the tidings stay glad we need him to battling some euro trash thieves. Firing a Machine gun. And well just hailing some of the most memorable insults in cinema history.
The original Die Hard is a cinematic icon, and a feature that propelled Bruce Willis firmly into the public conciousness. The action and story has been so good it has been spoofed on many occasions, you need look no further than a shrine of admiration than Paul Blart Mall Cop. As well as Willis, audiences are also treated to the wonderfully articulate, all be it with a odd accent, Alan Rickman as the big bad Hans Gruber.
Vaguely based around the season of good will to all men, Die Hard can be seen as teaching us many morals that we should value. I'm just kidding, although there are many scenes throughout the picture that mimic the frantic nature of Christmas eve at any shopping centre. Willis is superb, and the blend of action and laugh hits the mark so perfectly. A must see this holiday season.
Number One: Love Actually.
Ok call me a soppy git, but Richard Curtis' Love Actually is my all time favourite Christmas film. In many ways it's a good job I put Die Hard in at number two, just to ensure a good deal of manliness before we dive deep into the world of Rom-com awesomeness. Starring an all star cast of British talent which includes Liam Neelson (woo more Manliness), Keira Knightly, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, and of course Bill Nigh.
Love Actually is a perfect Christmas film, that blends comedy with charm so effortlessly that you can't help but be won over by it. The direction is seamless transitioning, as well as interweaving, story after story without any confusion or sense of boredom.
In addition to this, we also have Bill Nigh; Anyone who does not appreciate Bill Nigh as an actor watch Love Actually. His character of Billy Mack is just hilarious. From the song, I Feel It In My Fingers, to his general rock n roll antics, Nigh is just addictive and hilarious at the same time. As well as this, Love Actually does generate a nice warming feeling that would grow the Grinch's heart to 700x normal size.
