The Man Who Invented Christmas

When mince pies and advent calendars take precedent at the top of the shopping list, we can safely assume that Christmas has arrived. Unfortunately, alongside the release of seasonal goods is the start of the festive film fandango. Already lined up we have A Bad Moms Christmas (John Lucas and Scott Moore) and the nativity-esque animation The Star (Timothy Reckart), but a rather interesting addition to the mix is Bharat Nalluri’s The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Nalluri’s Dickensian twist on the infamous classic A Christmas Carol is a simple yet heart-warming tale that has all the bells and whistles: an elaborate set, a talented (and beautiful) cast and a kooky, though endearing, charm. Set just weeks before Charles Dickens’s self-financed release of his Christmas classic, The Man Who Invented Christmas delves in and out of the author’s childhood, recounting the toils and troubles of growing up in a lower class society. Interwoven in the retelling of the creative process behind his famous seasonal novel is Charles’s tumultuous relationship with his father and how the power of Christmas heals all wounds.

The Man Who Invented Christmas adopts an almost pantomime feel with a “for the stage” backdrop and over-the-top caricatures, yet this is counteracted by the sensitive side of Susan Coyne’s narrative. This is not a film that is substantiated in any form as being the truth, but it is a glorious alternative to the usual festive Hollywood tish-tosh. Behind the corny yet humble veil of hammy acting and elaborate plot devices is a skin-tingling tale of the more kind, generous side of humanity. One for all the family.

Chloe Sizer

The Man Who Invented Christmas is released nationwide on 1^st December 2017.

Watch the trailer for The Man Who Invented Christmas here: