The Man Who Invented Christmas

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS

Director : Bharat Nalluri
Year : 2017
Genre : Drama
Rating : ***

Despite its televisual aesthetic, there is something oddly charming about 'The Man Who Invented Christmas', a family-friendly festive fable that chronicles Charles Dickens' efforts to write 'A Christmas Carol'. In the movie, Dan Stevens stars as an unusually dapper, down-on-his-luck Dickens whose financial worries force him to produce and publish a new novel 6 weeks before Christmas. Suffering from severe writers block and still recovering from a string of flops,  Charles at first lacks the inspirational spark and fears for his families future as well as the future of his career. However, while encountering the strange inhabitants of his beloved city of London, the characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Mr and Mrs Fezziwig and Tiny Tim soon begin to form in his head and it isn't too long before one of the most beloved books ever written is gifted to the world.

Shot in cosy, candlelit rooms and the frosty, snow-covered streets of the city, 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' certainly bears all of the visual hallmarks of a new festive classic and indeed, it is very easy to imagine the film playing every Christmas Eve on TV. It is a nice companion piece to the many cinematic adaptations we have had of 'A Christmas Carol' and fans of the book are sure to enjoy seeing the origins of their favourite moments bought to life. There is even a touch of gothic horror in the scenes depicting Dickens' nightmarish boot-blacking past which hint towards the writers own Scrooge-like epiphany.

The performances too are good. While he may not look like the Dickens we know and love, Dan Stevens is still utterly charming as the beleaguered writer who is literally haunted by his creations - the main one being of course the crotchety Scrooge played with scene-chewing relish by Christopher Plummer who feeds the author some of the stories most iconic lines. There is also some nice supporting work from both Jonathan Pryce who is delightfully whimsical and sentimental as Charles' estranged, spendthrift father John and comedian and 'Balamory' star Miles Jupp who is wonderfully pompous in the role the literary critic and all-around snob William Makepeace-Thackeray. However, it is Plummer who steals the show with the most convincing portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge since Michael Caine in 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' (1992). 

Overall, 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' is a nice little seasonal treat that audiences of all ages should enjoy - especially those who, like myself, traditionally read 'A Christmas Carol' every December.  However for all of it's fluffiness and fanciful magic, it is a film to be watched in the comfort of your living room with a mince pie in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other rather than in a cold, uncomfortable, overpriced cinema seat.