Neil Baker and Sabastian AstleyTwelve Days of Christmas – all titles listed are available to rent, buy or stream.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, love, actually
LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)
Since 2003, the tide has gradually turned for Love Actually. That is not to say people don’t fight its corner, but others disregard it as being a bit naff or weird. Yet despite several now problematic themes, Love Actually remains a classic festive offering due to an ensemble including Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Nighy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Kris Marshall and Rowan Atkinson. Here, the genuinely heart-warming stories aren’t necessarily the romantic ones, from Daniel and his son Sam managing to get through their first Christmas without Sam’s mum to the long-time friendship between manager Joe and rock-n-roller Billy Mack, Love Actually’s joys are to be found in its sub-plots
Each story is linked, and if you’re thinking, “Wow, that sounds difficult”, you’d be right. Director Richard Curtis described the editing process as a “catastrophe” and “the only nightmare scenario that I’ve been caught in“. After all, when the editing of your film resembles a three-dimensional game of chess, you are sure of a challenging ride. Nonetheless, Curtis deftly pulls it off, and, in turn, it seems like everything went off without a hitch. The resulting picture is undoubtedly a love letter to London, taking in iconic locations from Canary Wharf and Hyde Park to the Tate Modern and Selfridges. But it also speaks directly to the Britpop era that was in decline by the early millennium, and in many ways, Love Actually feels like a love letter and goodbye to this era.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, the complexities of a fragmented family.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE COOPERS (2015)
Receiving negative reviews on its release, Christmas with the Coopers (Love the Coopers) suffered from a highly misleading pre-release ad campaign that painted the movie as a lightweight festive comedy. However, in reality, Christmas with the Coopers is a tender, humorous family drama exploring themes of connection, belonging and love. In a year when COVID-19 has stripped us of hugs, intimate conversations, time with family and physical contact, Christmas with the Coopers offers hope for a better tomorrow. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. All Christmas with the Coopers needs to provide is joy, charm and festive cheer, and it does just that from the opening scenes to the last. I don’t know what critics watched back in 2015, but they got it wrong with this film.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a new Bond and a snow-topped mountain hideaway.
ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
By the late 1960s, Sean Connery’s love of Bond had turned sour, as had his relationship with the production team. As Connery announced his departure, Bond would face its most significant challenge in recasting the spy for a new generation. But were audiences ready to move on from Connery? George Lazenby may have been a surprise casting choice, but he made Bond his own in one of the best Bond films ever. However, Lazenby suffered a backlash in 1969, and his movie was unfairly criticised for years after its release due to his choice to walk away from the role. Thankfully, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has since earned its rightful place as one of the best 007 movies; from its style to its action sequences and sublime score, this is Bond at his best.
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, the remarkable story of a brief peace and unity.
JOYEUX NOEL (2005)
Joyeux Noel received positive reviews on its release in 2005 but has since been forgotten in the festive mists of time. But Joyeux Noel is an outstanding Christmas movie – its real-life story of humanity in the face of destruction is compelling, emotional and brave. On Christmas Eve of 1914, in the trenches of Europe, a group of German, British and French soldiers laid down their weapons for a brief moment of solidarity in the face of hate and conflict. The result was an act of humanity, reconciliation, and hope that, sadly, only lasted for one day. Joyeux Noel never shies away from the brutal reality of war while demonstrating that peace is always possible when we listen, talk and build bridges of understanding across nationalistic divides.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a teenager’s wish for love.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (1991)
A Christmas kid’s movie about family separation and divorce doesn’t exactly sound like the most festive offering. But the year was 1991, and divorce was increasing rapidly in the UK and across the pond in the US, so what was the harm in exploring Christmas stuck between two warring parents? Many critics felt the subject matter of Robert Lieberman’s Christmas movie was depressing for kids, while others argued the yuppie affluence on display was nauseating. The critics were right on both levels, but All I Want for Christmas also carries a warmth and charm that makes it incredibly festive and sweet despite its significant flaws. Plus, if you look through the sickly sweet Americana, All I Want for Christmas harbours a much deeper discussion on parental separation and a teenage realisation that not all wishes can come true. Or can they?
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a wish for life in a devastated family.
ONE MAGIC CHRISTMAS (1985)
One part, It’s a Wonderful Life, and one part, A Christmas Carol, Disney’s One Magic Christmas often felt more like a horror than a family feel-good flick, and the critics picked up on this in 1985. The critics were right in many ways; the film’s ad campaign and poster simply didn’t match the story, but it’s that disjointed advertising campaign that makes One Magic Christmas such a fascinating Disney miss-step and a movie that everyone should explore at least once. One Magic Christmas may not break new ground, but it is a fascinatingly dark Disney outing that deserves far more attention.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Santa, a heist and farting reindeer.
GET SANTA (2014)
Sometimes directors throw a curveball, and Christopher Smith’s Get Santa is one; after all, this guy brought us Creep, Severance, and Black Death. With Get Santa, Smith offers us something different, a rare festive gem that appeals to kids and adults alike with sharp and delightfully silly humour. Add to that the brilliant Jim Broadbent as Santa alongside a veritable whos who of British talent, from Stephen Graham to a young Kit Connor, Joanna Scanlan and Rafe Spall, and you have a festive comedy that has only grown in popularity over the years since its initial release. Get Santa is, in essence, a delightfully different take on Miracle on 34th Street. This cracking family comedy discusses life, missed opportunities, and the wrong turns we can so easily take as Smith masterfully weaves together a host of laugh-out-loud moments with something far more delicate and emotionally driven.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a queer indie gem.
TANGERINE (2015)
Christmas movies aren’t always full of tinsel, elves and snow, and Tangerine is a stunning example of a Christmas movie wrapped in life’s realities. Shot entirely on the iPhone 5, Tangerine is bathed in the winter sun and heat of Los Angeles, as it offers us a heartfelt, emotional and humorous Christmas on the margins of society. In the proud tradition of spit and sawdust American Indies, dialogue is often improvised, even when it was initially scripted, and it maintains a loose narrative structure that feels real throughout. Tangerine wears its heart on its sleeve as two transgender sex workers, Alexandra and Sin-Dee, walk the backstreets of L.A. on Christmas Eve in this must-see queer indie gem.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Stark on the ropes a box of scraps and ingenuity.
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
Many misunderstand the greatness of Iron Man 3 in its interrogation of why it has to be Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit. Similar parallels are found in Tony’s speech to Peter during Spider-Man: Homecoming, as the valuable lesson he learned in Iron Man 3 dovetails with his pep talk. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has often pushed Iron Man to the forefront of discussions of what makes an individual superhuman. However, it’s always been Tony’s dogmatic intelligence and heroic nature that makes him stand out. The Christmas backdrop brings Tony Stark down to earth as he is stripped of his power. Here, Tony’s intelligence is a shining beacon in the dark malaise of the night, with his trusty helper/agitator, Harley, by his side. There’s an undeniable magic to their scenes together. Only Shane Black could strip away everything about Iron Man and somehow make the best Iron Man film out of a Christmas box full of scraps.
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, snow, love and harmony.
LET IT SNOW (2019)
Let It Snow’s tinsel-dressed romcom offers us something slightly different from the normal festive love-in; at its core, it is a coming-of-age comedy/drama reflecting a group of teenagers on the verge of change with some Christmas love thrown in for good measure. With a cracking ensemble cast, Let It Snow ripples with youthful energy and diversity, reflecting the complexity of teenage relationships and the painful end of adolescence. The result is a surprisingly warm and tender film that may not be perfect but offers us an entertaining and festive story that carries a sleigh full of Christmas cheer.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a meet-the-inlaws comedy.
YOUR CHRISTMAS OR MINE? (2022)
During our teens, we find ourselves relentlessly embarrassed by our family, to the extent that we spend much of our time isolating ourselves as much as possible. For some of us, leaving home for University provides an escape and an opportunity to finally embrace our individuality, reinventing who we are for a new audience of people who will likely never meet our folks. This experience is liberating, exciting and adventurous as we define who we are, what we want and how much people know about us. But it also comes with risks; what happens if we meet the love of our life? At some point, they are bound to ask about our home town and family, right? This is the conundrum faced by university sweethearts James (Asa Butterfield) and Hayley (Cora Kirk). Director Jim O’Hanlon explores the differing experiences of Christmas in two families divided by wealth while also embracing the classic “meet the in-laws” comedy. There are splashes of the Happiest Season, Christmas with the Coopers and Four Christmases in the story that unfolds as O’Hanlon asks whether our young couple’s love will survive the festive revelations.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a mother and son healing journey.
BEN IS BACK (2019)
It’s Christmas Eve in small-town America, and the Burns family are ready to celebrate the big day. However, someone is missing from their Christmas table: their son Ben (Hedges), who is in rehab following a long-term drug addiction that has led to family pain. But as Holly (Julia Roberts), her husband Neal (Courtney B Vance) and their daughter Ivy prepare for the big day, Ben unexpectedly walks down the driveway. Ben’s rehab is not yet complete, and despite Holly’s delight at having him home, the rest of the family remains reserved about the dangers his return could bring. These dangers soon come back to haunt the family, leading to truths about the nature of Ben’s addiction that challenge the very fabric of family life. Director Peter Hedges makes the brave move of focusing the film on one 24-hour period that captures the sudden turbulence of Ben’s return while exploring the desperate need of a mother to protect her son. Hedges and Roberts are superb as they unpick the secrets of a mother and son separated through addiction and fear in a movie that occasionally stumbles in its exploration of the true darkness of addiction despite the engaging, dramatic and stunning performances at its core.
