A Boy Called Christmas: The magic of Christmas and the power of hope

Movie Review: A Boy Called Christmas on Netflix

This back-story film on the origins of Father Christmas begins with Maggie Smith in character as Aunt Ruth telling a small group of sleepy-eyed children a Christmas bedtime story. The bedtime story becomes the essence of the narration. Now, who wouldn't love the legendary Maggie Smith to tell them a delicious bedtime story? And so it ensues.

A Boy Called Christmas is about a boy called Christmas--clever, no?--who live an impoverished life alone in a Norwegian forest. His father (played by Joel Fry) is a woodsman. Young Nikolas (played by Henry Lawfull) helps his father but dreams of his late mother, who died when he was very young but gifted him with dreams of elves and the hope of a life of wonder in Elfhelm, one of the magical kingdoms of Viking lore. But Nikolas's father doesn't exactly buy into the legends and forces Henry to live a more realistic and rustic life until one day the king (played by Jim Broadbent) challenges the people to search far and wide for tangible signs of hope to encourage the people of the kingdom. His father sets off with a bunch of local men in search of Elfhelm, leaving Nikolas in the care of his self-centered sister (played by Kristen Wiig) and a red cap knit by Nikolas's mother. When Nikclas inadvertently discovers a map sewn inside the cap by Nikolas's mother, Nikolas runs off the find his father to help him in his quest. Thereafter lie mayhem and conflict. Also a pet mouse, a flying reindeer, a city of elves intent on imprisoning Nikolas, and lots of cold, snowy, mountainous terrain. 

This is your usual boy against the odds battle to survive and be understood story. It's also about the magic of Christmas and the power of hope. There are lots of interesting characters and fun settings, and children will enjoy seeing themselves in the personas of the children receiving a bedtime story by a beloved character actor and watching imaginative characters coming to life on their TV screens. It's also a story good for adults who like a little fantasy in their fiction--perhaps some hope in tough times.

A Boy Called Christmas isn't full-blown fantasy like a Babes in Toyland or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But it is fantasy an audience can suspend disbelief in long enough to enjoy the story and tag along for the journey and the warm-hearted message. I'd rate it A for admirable effort.

Downton Abbey: If You're a Fan of the Series You'll Love the Movie

Movie Review: Downton Abbey (2019)
Version: Library borrow

If you enjoyed the television version of Downton Abbey, how could you not love the movie version? It includes all the lovable and not-so-lovable characters but without the week-long wait for the story to continue. And with the back story already established, all you really need is to sit back and watch the action unfold -- well, action in a British soap opera unfolding with the speed of mold growing kind of way.

My wife is a big fan of Downtown Abbey. I'm not especially so. However, I found it interesting to look in and see what the Crawley family and their staff have been up to while the rest of the world has been spinning around this vaster, faster globe. And it really didn't disappoint. The main plot involved a visit by King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James), which of course has the whole family, the whole staff, and the whole town in a stitch of excitement. Subplots include the intrigue of competition between the abbey staff and the royal staff serving the royals and a big to-do between cousin Maud (Imelda Staunton) and the earl's mother Violet (Maggie Smith) involving the passing on of the family fortune to her maid instead of to the earl. And then there's the matter of the disquiet caused by republican voices during the royal visit, which brings unrest and a secret plot.

Avid fans of the series should feel well sated by the great cast, the bucolic scenery, and the British sensibility. If you're new to the story lines, well, be warned: It's much ado about tradition, classism, and resistance to change even facing the advancing modern times. Still, who can resist the irritable Maggie Smith always getting the best lines.

Downton Abbey will likely warm your heart on a cold winter's night or cool your heels if you're caught out on a hot spring evening. Give everything a rest and ooze into the drama with a cup of tea or a glass of wine or perhaps a sip of brandy and let the Crawley family take the worries out of your day.