When I think of Chritmastime, I can´t help
thinking of films and going to the cinema. When I was little, my father, who
didn´t usually have much time to spend with us, used to take my sister and me
to the cinema and that was a great treat. In fact, my first experience of
watching a film in a cinema took place at this time of the year. Most people
tend to have some time on their hands these days and that´s probably one of the
reasons why the number of cinema-goers rises during the festive season. The
film industry is aware of this and as a result, quite a lot of films are
released during the Christmas break.
This Christmas offers us the opportunity of
watching a wide range of films. If you´re into romantic comedies, Enough Said can be a good choice for
you. The last film of Nicole Holofcener – director of Friends with Money and Please
Give – deals with falling in love and the idea of making a new start
without being biased and influenced by the prejudices of a former relationship. The story rests on its
witty dialogue and its wonderful cast, two factors which remind us of the old,
classic comedies where the plot relied so much on situations that resulted from
funny misunderstandings. This film can also be regarded as some sort of tribute
to James Gandolfini who plays the part of the male protagonist. James
Gandolfini died of a heart attack last summer and he will always be remembered
as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American mobster of the TV series The Sopranos.
If you´re fond of Woody Allen´s films, you can
watch Blue Jasmine, his last film
which has received critical acclaim and is still on at our local cinemas. But
if you aren´t interested in dramas, you may enjoy a story which is full of
hope: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,
directed by Ben Stiller who also plays the main role. Perhaps you are one of
those people who read The Physician a
long time ago and once you wondered what it would be like to watch this story
on the screen, if that´s the case, you´re lucky: Noah Gordon´s story has been
adapted for the big screen and it has just been released.
Regardless of whether you have the opportunity
of going to the pictures or not, I feel that this time of the year is
associated with watching films or, at least, a particular film that you enjoy.
In the States watching It´s a Wonderful
Life or A Charlie Brown Christmas
has become some sort of Christmas tradition for everybody.
It´s difficult to point out the same sort of tradition nationwide, but I believe that most of the people who love watching films have fostered their own tradition. Someone who is close to me enjoys watching Christmas Vacation, a film which – some would argue – cannot be classified as an unforgettable classic film but who knows? As for me, not every single year – but once in a while – I like watching When Harry met Sally. Most people would say that this is not really a Christmas film, however, I feel that this is the right time of the year to watch it. The film has a couple of scenes with the Christmas tree which are very brief but very meaningful at the same time, and besides, the story ends on New Year´s Eve, so the topic does appear in the film even if it is not a film about Christmas. Nevertheless, what makes this story suitable for the last days of the year is, in my view, its cyclic sense of life: regardless of the plot of the story, the film underlines the idea of passage of time and the personal events associated with it. And if we feel prone to positiveness we can also pay attention to the fact that no matter how hard the times are, no matter how difficult the year has been, Christmas will come, a new year will begin and despite our problems, somehow, we will find a way to make a new start.
Happy Boxing Day, Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year!!!
What is
your own Xmas tradition when it comes to watching films? Have you acquired the
habit of watching a film which you inextricably associate with the festive
season?
