Discuss: Films set at Christmas that are not Christmas films?

Over the weekend I attended a Christmas meal laid on by the might Colin Bermingham for the few true heroes who put up the Christmas lights in Bebington Village. I was one of those heroes. Jinja was not, he was in Australia for a few weeks, but was invited anyway as he has helped out in previous years and is going to take them down in the new year.

Before the meal (which was lovely by the way), Jinja put forward a movie themed question for us to ponder and I now put it to you.

He asked, "What films can you think of that are set at Christmas but are not Christmas movie?"

At first you could be thinking, what is he talking about? Is that man insane and why are we wearing the same jumper (it wasn't quite the same jumper, the label was slightly different. I put it down to great minds and all that).

Nonplussed I responded with a "Huh?!" and then Jinja continued, "Go on you know like Trading Places." I had it and understood, I reached for my beer and supped deeply (Live for Films does not condone drinking alcohol kids and if you do have a drink this Christmas drink responsibly and don't drink and drive).

Trading Places - the great comedy starring Eddie Murphy (back when he was funny) and Dan Aykroyd (back when he was thin and not selling crystal skull bottles of vodka) who play a tramp and a rich Wall Street dude respectively. Then through a bet by Dan's mean bosses have to swap places to see if they will cope. Dan meets up with Jamie Lee Curtis' breasts so he's fine and Eddie Murphy laughs and shows a flare for stocks and shares. An excellent movie that is often shown on cable channels throughout the land. It also brought us the phrase "Beef Jerky Time!" which can be used for a multitude of meanings. The main point of it though is that the film is set at Christmas - there are trees and lights dotted around and Dan Aykroyd dresses as Father Christmas (Santa Claus to the American visitors to this site!) and eats a salmon through the beard (does that actually cut into his lip?), but you don't think of it as a Christmas movie.

You're getting the idea.

Die Hard - There's another (as is Die Hard 2). Set at Christmas, Bruce Willis (with hair and a vest) attends his wife's Christmas party at Nakatomi Towers. While he's there Professor Snape / Hans Gruber and his crew of european bad guys break in, hold the partygoers hostage, and break into the safe. Snape / Gruber gives us the FBI, they send in the car, the quaterback is toast and Bruce Willis runs around the conveniently large ventilation system with no shoes on and says "Yippee Ki-Aye Muddy Funster!" while pulling glass out of his feet. Set at Christmas but not a Christmas movie.

Last one that was mentioned on the night (by my Dad no less) was It's a Wonderful Life. Think about it. The film shows the life of George Bailey as he gets more and more ground down by Bedford Falls and his good intentions. Then when it all comes to a head he decides to kill himself to help his family. Clarence intervenes and shows George what his life has done while all around the townsfolk do a big collection for Georgie boy and all is well. Think about it. It's not really a Christmas film, only the fact it has the huge downer and then uplifting moment with goodwill all around that has made it the seasons favourite.

There you go then. I've set it up now lets see what the rest of you can come up with in the comments below. Feel free to disagree with any of the above (make sure you explain why though) and put forward any other films you can think of that fall into the criteria. Something to discuss with your family as well on Christmas Day while you digest the turkey.

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Anatomy of a Murder, 1959 - Movie Review

Director: Otto Preminger
Starring: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott
Running Time: 160 minutes
Score: 9 / 10

The Wife and I watched this last night and enjoyed every minute of it. James Stewart is the man! You will all have seen the poster or others based on it and the Saul Bass opener really hits the spot (check out the Saul Bass inspired Star Wars credits). This review is by Tightspot Kilo.

Begin with an extremely tight and well written script, from the novel by the same name. While reportedly the story is based on a real-life case it is nevertheless actually a timeless story, almost biblical, presenting age-old questions of human conflicts and human dilemmas.

Add to that a sensational cast, starting of course with the leads, Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott, Lee Remick, and Ben Gazarra, but also the rest of the cast, filled as it is with numerous accomplished and veteran stage actors and radio performers from days of yore. Character parts played by actors Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, Ken Lynch, Joseph Kearns, and Howard McNear. Someone paid careful attention to the casting for this film.

Perhaps the most masterful stroke as far as casting goes was the decision to cast Joseph Welch as the judge. Welch was an experienced and renowned lawyer in real life. Welch turns in a very good and a very believable performance.

With the collision of those elements, a great script and a great cast, adding Otto Preminger as director, an overseer who knew exactly what to do with it all, you then have a very fine film.

More than any other movie or play, including modern day presentations like the television series Law & Order, this 1959 movie, Anatomy of a Murder, even though it is now 46 years old, is by far the most realistic and technically accurate courtroom drama ever produced. The conduct of the trial, the examination of the witnesses, the colloquy and bantering back and forth between the lawyers and between the lawyers and the judge, is spot-on. Every bit of it. Every question from the lawyers, every objection, every ruling by the judge, every admonishment from the judge, and the testimony of the witnesses, every bit of it, is realistic and believable, lines that were accurately written with care, and then flawlessly delivered.

Beyond the technical accuracies of the legal proceedings, some other aspects of the overall story were also spot on. It accurately captures the ambiguities and ambivalence of lawyers, their motivations, their ethics, their relative honesty. Nothing is all black or all white. Shades of gray abound. Legal cases as sport. Being a "good lawyer" means bending the rules until you're told to stop, pushing the envelope too far. Not for justice. No, not that. To win. That's why. To win. Then sanctimoniously telling themselves that the system really works better this way. The movie accurately captures the fact that real-life legal cases are very often comprised of upside down Alice in Wonderland features. Innocent people are guilty, and guilty people are innocent. Good is bad, and bad is good. Everything is relative. Some call it cynicism. Others, cynically, call it realism. Anatomy of a Murder captures all of these and more.

I've read the criticism that Lee Remick was not believable, that as an actress she failed at nailing the portrayal of how a true rape victim would appear and behave, and that her character, Laura Manion, just didn't seem to have the proper affect nor strike the right emotional chord of a woman who had been raped. All I can say is that such criticism misses a humongous part of the point. It is almost mind-boggling that there are viewers out there who, after viewing this film, somehow managed to miss it. Let me clear it up: we the viewers WERE SUPPOSED to have serious doubts about whether Laura Manion had actually been raped. The question of whether she was really raped or not is central to the plot and story line. That's why Lee Remick played the part the way she did. And then, in turn, it was part of the story for the Jimmy Stewart character, Paul Biegler, to recognize this problem, and the problem that it presented to his defense. He worried that the jury would see it and would also doubt that she had been raped, and so that's why he propped her up in court, dressed up all prim and proper, with a hat over her voluptuously cascading hair, and with horned-rim glasses. So, yes, Lee Remick nailed it. Bull's eye.

Speaking of Lee Remick, some say that this was the movie that put Lee Remick on the map. She was stunningly beautiful here, at the ripe young age of 24. Even though the film is in black and white, her red hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin still manage to jump right off the screen and out at you. Has any other actress ever played the role of the beautiful and sexy lady looking to get laid any better than Lee Remick? It was a woman she reprised several times in her career, sometimes with greater subtlety and understatement than others. This was her first rendition of it, and it may have been the best.

Anatomy of a Murder is a very complex movie, with multitudes of layers and texturing, where much is deftly explored, but precious little is resolved. It's a movie that leaves you thinking and wondering. I highly recommend it.

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Rear Window, 1954. DVD Review

Director - Alfred Hitchcock
Producer - Alfred Hitchcock
Starring - James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr
Running Time - 112 minutes

Score - 10/10

Now I've only seen a handful of Hitchcock movies (North by Northwest, The Birds, Vertigo, Psycho, The 39 Steps, and Rebecca) so I wouldn't say I am an expert on them, but this is one of my all time favourite movies.

James Stewart star as L. B. Jeffries, a photo journalist who specializes in taking photos in dangerous places. His last one, at a race track, left him with a broken leg and confined to a cast and wheelchair for the past few weeks. As the movie begins we are told numerous things through the slow pan of the camera (not like in some modern movies where we are told basic information through a voice over or text scrawl) treating the audience intelligently and bringing us into the claustrophobic world of L. B. Jeffries and his apartment. To keep himself entertained while stuck in the wheelchair Jeffries watches his neighbours in the surrounding apartment blocks (The heat wave that has hit New York makes this all the easier as all the windows and shutters are open). There is Miss Torso, a dancer who practices in her underwear, Miss Lonely Heart who makes candle lit meals for her imaginary lover, and a pianist who is stuck on his latest composition (it is this last apartment where Hitchcock makes his cameo, a feature in all his movies, winding a clock) amongst others. Across the way lives a salesman (Raymond Burr) and his bed ridden, nagging wife.

Watching the comings and goings of his neighbours Jeffries drags his physiotherapist, Stella,(Thelma Ritter) and high society girlfriend, Lisa Carol Fremont, (Grace Kelly) into his voyeuristic world.

As the film progresses the odd behaviour of the salesman leads Jeffries and the others to the awful conclusion that he has murdered his wife. This leads to them investigating and getting awfully close to the possible murderer.

A fantastic movie with strong performances by all involved. James Stewart is especially amazing as he is in a wheelchair for most of the movie. The actors portraying his neighbours do an amazing job drawing you into their world and telling you everything you need to know about them in a few short scenes. The sparse soundtrack is also provided via the various radios around the apartments and the occasional interlude by the frustrated pianist.

Hitchcock's direction and use of the camera is great and ratchets up the suspense as only he can. The scene where Grace Kelly is looking through the salesman's apartment while James Stewart and Thelma Ritter look on in impotent horror as the salesman returns is particularly gripping. The huge set should also be mentioned for being a brilliant supporting actor to the unfolding drama.

It has also been retold and spoofed many times - a remake starring Christopher Reeve, Disturbia starring Shia Lebouf, The Simpsons etc

Everything about this movie works well and nothing is wasted, hence, the top score. Nothing more can really be said apart from watch this film. You won't be disappointed.