A Christmas Carol (2020) movie review

MOVIE TITLE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Available December 4, 2020, in some theaters in the USA and UK and on PAID on Demand Video

RATING: No rating is given, but I would probably say it’s a PG

LENGTH: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed by Jacqui Morris, this artsy-fartsy version of the story we all know and love this time of year is nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It’s being described as a “radical retelling” of the story that has already been filmed over 70 times! Did we need another version?

Dancers will appreciate the flowing action the story utilizes and it really feels like a mixture of theater, film, and ballet. The movie’s official summary reads, “The classic tale unfolds in a rich tapestry of highly absorbing, theatrical drama featuring sumptuous visual effects inspired by the techniques of early cinema. In a daring twist of format, characters are portrayed by dancers and voiced by an eclectic cast of the world’s most recognizable actors.”

If watching movies every Christmas based on this 1843 Charles Dickens classic is your annual tradition, you just might like this new take. In fact, Charles Dickens is actually listed as one of the writers of the film! It kind of feels like you’re watching a play by Shakespeare…you don’t quite love it like you wished you did, but know you’re better and more cultured for having seen it.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Most kids will be very bored and maybe a bit confused, especially if they’ve never seen anything like this kind of storytelling before. For adults…same.
Prostitution mentioned
Bullying

THEMES:

Service & love for others
The purpose of life
Regret
Change
Acts of kindness
Empathy and compassion
Choices and consequences
Social injustice
Family
Isolation
Memory
Forgiveness

THINGS I LIKED:

The voices include the incredible Andy Serkis (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ), who also played the Ghost of Christmas Past in a live-action BBC mini-series version of this story in 2019. Other extremely talented performers include Cary Mulligan, Martin Freeman, Simon Russell Beale, and Daniel Kaluuya. The color-blind casting is utilized in voice, acting, and dance talent throughout the film.
I loved the technically-impressive, ghost-like filter on the actors. It feels like a stage play we’re watching on the other side of an ethereal cloth. Another reviewer described watching the movie as “peering into a dusty Victorian box.” True.
The dancers are led by former Royal Ballet and BalletBoyz founder Michael Nunn. The styles blend ballet with breakdance, if you can imagine that! Even the actors sitting at a desk are constantly moving.
Lovely musical score by Alex Baranowski.
The animated backdrops add to the story-like feeling of Victorian England.
Translating this into any other language will be a piece of cake because the actors’ mouths don’t move, so the dubbed language will look seamless.
Creative set designs.
Sian Phillips’ narration offers the perfect British voice you’d want to tell this story.
Some symbolism that is illustrated well in this telling:

– Scrooge = the beliefs and values of Victorian England in the 1800s

– Bob Cratchit = the spirit of Christmas that Charles Dickens wanted to see revived

– Fire = the warmth of the Christmas season

– Marley’s chains = his priorities, beliefs, and money that keep him a slave

– Ghost of Christmas Present = generosity, peace, joy

– Light coming from the Ghost Christmas Past = memories