2023-12-19 19:32:26
There is a cliché that (almost) all christmas movies they have the same formula, and that you just have to follow it to make one, at least, effective. However, there are at least two reasons that undermine this argument. One is that time passes and the lists of Christmas classics are not very different from those of, say, ten years ago… no matter how much Hallmark and Netflix paint their catalogs red and green. The other is the prevalence as unbeatable Christmas classics of two films that turn 20 years old: ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Elf’. The latter premiered in Spain on December 12, two decades ago.
Is it possible to bring together two such different films for more reasons than that shared 20th birthday? Clear. At first glance they look like an egg to a chestnut. ‘Love Actually’, debut of the then screenwriter Richard Curtis (he had written ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’), follows the pattern of films of crossed lives to tell several stories of love and heartbreak in London in Christmas. In the other, Jon Favreau, who was then better known as an actor, told the story of a giant elf who got lost in New York during the holidays.
One is a romantic comedy with an overwhelming cast: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth… The number of stars is such that it is obscene. The other is a family comedy inspired by the visual universe of the stop-motion production company Rankin/Bass, especially in ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ (1964), with the comedian Will Ferrell in the skin of the titular elf and unique and unclassifiable even today. And yet, they are united by a lot of things. The first is that they are films that avoid cynicism and irony, something that makes them very exotic in the eyes of the present.
Timeless Christmas Classic
Both Curtis and Favreau seemed to be very clear that they wanted to make pure Christmas films, without undervaluing or perverting the subgenre. In the chapter on ‘Elf’ of the series ‘The Movies That Made Us’ (2019-) it is said that one of the objectives that Favreau set himself when he agreed to direct the film, written by a novice and unknown screenwriter, was “to make a timeless Christmas classic. The heart of both films are affection, people and, although it sounds corny (at this time it is not so bad seen to be so), magic. That is, without going into comparisons, the ingredients of classics like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life!’ (1946), ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947), ‘Gremlins’ (1984) or ‘Home Alone’ (1990).
It’s true that in some ways ‘Love Actually’ hasn’t aged well.. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary, for which the American channel ABC brought together its team in the special ‘The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later’, there have been many voices that have focused on the most questionable things about the movie. People talk and write (not without reason) about their misogyny, their fatphobia or a social representation that is not very diverse (in every sense).. In that ABC documentary and in a conversation with his daughter at the Cheltenham literary festival, Curtis claimed to regret many decisions he had made in his first films about female representation and diversity: “That lack of diversity made me “It makes you feel uncomfortable and a little stupid. There are things I would change, but thank God society is changing, that’s why my film is predestined, in some things, to seem obsolete.”
contagious energy
‘Love Actually’ is obsolete in some ways, as much as thousands of films of its time and so many other times. That doesn’t redeem her. But you shouldn’t be more upset with her than with others of hers because she is very popular. We must be aware of its errors, of course, but also value what makes it unbeatable as a Christmas classic. In addition to this escape from cynicism, there is an infectious energy, the charisma of the actors, several tremendously iconic scenes (from Hugh Grant’s dance to Emma Thompson’s moment with Joni Mitchell’s song in the background) and the pleasure of the scripts and the interpretations that are not worried about being cheesy, nor being ridiculous, nor worrying excessively about plausibility.
All of that is also in ‘Elf’. If the Christmas spirit really exists, it must be very similar to what ‘Love Actually’ and Favreau’s film conveyespecially the sledding scene in Central Park from the last one, with the New Yorkers singing ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’. ‘Elf’ has not only aged well, but its reputation as a classic is increasingly skyrocketing, especially in the United States. Born from the enthusiasm of a group of novices (or almost), shot with less money than necessary and with exciting images of how it was made (Favreau opted madly for craftsmanship in his creation of the world of elves), ‘Elf’ is the perfect Christmas movie. It is original, it is funny, it is tender, it is full of hilarious scenes and gags, it is very visually beautiful (the colors, the costumes, the decoration of the department store) and it has one of Will Ferrell’s best performances. Christmas classics exist and persist.
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