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maltatoday SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER 2017 42 This Week BOTH a literary heavyweight and superstar, the landmark Victorian- era novelist Charles Dickens – ar- guably the most iconic writer in the English language, second only perhaps to William Shakespeare – would have very well found himself at home in this day and age. A popu- list writer known to churn out seri- alised narratives at breakneck speed, he would later become known for his public readings: packed affairs delivered with oratory relish and ce- menting the idea that literature can be bona fide entertainment. And as if to confirm the contem- porary obsession of everything having to be a "brand", legend would have it that it was Dickens who more or less single-handedly helped revive the then-flagging tradition of Christmas... thanks to, of course, the publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843, which depicts the redemptive arc of a mi- serly moneylender who learns to appreciate the charitable nature of the holiday after being hounded by the ghosts of Christmas past, pre- sent and future. Adapted from the book by Les Standiford, The Man Who Invent- ed Christmas charts the evolution of this defining little book, casting Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens as a young Charles Dickens, who is attempting to kick his career back into gear after the flop that was his previous novel, the America-evis- cerating satire Martin Chuzzlewit. Aided by his affable and doggedly loyal friend and agent John Forster (Justin Edwards), Charles pitch- es what would later become 'A Christmas Carol' to his sceptical publishers... also, in part, because he needs a hit to cushion some of his mounting debts. But as he begins to envisage the cast of characters that would oc- cupy the book – most notably the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer) – he be- gins to feel them take over his life, much to the chagrin of his doting wife Kate (Morfydd Clark), while his well-meaning but financially frustrating father John (Jonathan Pryce) distracts him with a visit... and reminds Charles of the hard- ships he was forced to suffer in his youth, after being sent away to the workhouse as a consequence of his father's debts. Hardships which may just shade the redemptive narrative he is at- tempting to bring to the world. Directed by Bharat Nalluri, The Man Who Invented Christmas has the potential of being a metafic- tional marvel – with a Piriandello- esque 'characters in search of an author' set-up at its core – but in- stead settles for being an unthreat- ening bit of comfort viewing. And, on the whole, that's not too much of a problem. In fact, the cinematography and production design (taken care of by Ben Smithard and Paki Smith, respectively) do a good enough job of snuggling us into a world of cosy Victoriana – Charles's crammed, book-lined study is particularly charming – but the screenplay by Susan Coyne never even dares to punch above its weight. This is, of course, perfectly fine – this is a movie about Christmas, released just in time for Christmas after all, where comfort and reassur- ance should be king – but when characters start to actually declare what's supposed to be subtext out loud, and over and over again, the whimsical charm of the thing starts to crack just a little bit. Not that it ever shatters. This is a production buoyed by an over- whelming sense of goodwill, not least in it's all-star British cast, es- pecially when it comes to its lead. But while Stevens remains lik- able and energetic with his por- trayal of Dickens – battling as he does a firmly-established legacy of sepia-toned, bearded portray- als – it is the veteran players that really elevate the proceedings out of fluffy pap and into some- thing with a semblance of rugged charm. As Charles's spendthrift but good-hearted father John, Jonathan Pryce does have to con- tend with some moments of base sentimentality, but he even carries these off with genuine humanity that strokes the desired effect of pity. And as the mental projection of Scrooge, Christopher Plummer has the privilege of darkening this largely saccharine story with a dose of caustic cynicism, and his mental tug-of-war with Stevens – who of course plays his erstwhile creator – is often delightful to watch. In short, those of you looking for a more sombre take on the life and work of Charles Dickens would be advised to look elsewhere. Docu- mentaries on his life abound – and they often come drama- tised by lifetime Dickens devotee Simon Callow, who in this film takes on the role of the fussy book illustrator John Leech, and whose passion for the novelist's biogra- phy is infectious. If a feature film is what you're looking for, The Invisible Woman (2013), directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, would be just the astringent tonic to take should you desire to wash down this sugary treat; depicting as it does the twilight years of the writer's life... and, more crucially, the last days of Dickens's mar- riage, compromised as it was by an affair with actress Ellen 'Nelly' Ternan (Felicity Jones), and miles away from the sometimes-rocky- but-largely-solid relationship we see here. But those willing to soften their hearts with some season-appropri- ate emotional massaging need look no further. An unapologetic seasonal con- fection, The Man Who Invented Christmas eschews realism or any kind of dramatic subtlety to tell a fairy tale that just about matches the most maudlin excesses found in Dickens's own work. But it is just about stage-managed to perfection to get the appropriate response from a family-wide audience around this time of year, with a game cast and enchanting produc- tion design that seal the deal. Don't expect greatness, but there's joy to be had if you squint hard enough. IN CINEMAS TODAY Embassy Cinemas Valletta Tel. 21 227436, 21 245818 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (3D) (12A) 10:30, 14:15, 17:30, 20:40 Paddington 2 (U) 10:00, 12:10, 14:20, 16:35, 18:50, 21:05 Murder on the Orient Express (12A) 16:00, 18:30, 21:00 Daddy's Home 2 (12A) 10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15 Justice League (12A) 20:40 The Star (U) 10:00, 12:05, 14:10, 16:15, 18:20 The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG) 10:25, 13:45, 16:05, 18:25, 20:45 Valletta Living History (U) 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 13:45, 14:30, 15:15 Eden Cinemas St Julian's Tel. 23 710400 A Bad Moms Christmas (15) 14:05, 20:40 Daddy's Home 2 (12A) 14:10, 16:20, 18:30, 20:40 Justice League (12A) 11:20, 13:50, 16:20, 18:50, 21:20, 23:50 Murder on the Orient Express (12A) 16:20, 18:45, 21:15, 23:45 Paddington 2 (PG) 11:30, 14:00, 16:30, 18:45, 21:00 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (12A) 10:50, 13:50, 14:45, 17:00, 18:00, 20:00, 21:15, 23:05 Stronger (15) 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:45 The Disaster Artist (15) 14:10, 16:20, 18:35, 20:50 The Golden Calf (PG) 11:25, 14:15, 16:20, 18:30, 20:30, 22:50 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (TBA) 14:00 The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG) 14:15, 16:30, 18:45, 21:00 The Star (U) 11:35, 14:15, 16:25, 18:30 Thor: Ragnarok (12A) 16:30, 20:30 Wonder (PG) 11:15, 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:40 Empire Cinemas Bugibba Tel. 21 581787, 21 581909 Paddington 2 (PG) 10:45, 13:35, 16:00, 18:25, 20:50 Daddy's Home 2 (12A) 11:00, 13:40, 16:20, 18:40, 20:55 Justice League (12A) 10:40, 13:25, 16:05, 18:40, 21:15 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (12A) 10:30, 14:00, 18:10, 21:15 Wonder (PG) 10:50, 13:35, 16:10, 18:35, 21:00 The Star (U) 11:15, 14:00, 16:30, 18:35 Murder on the Orient Express (12A) 20:40 The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG) 11:15, 13:45, 16:15, 18:30, 20:45 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ THE BEST OF TIMES ★ ★ ★ ★ GREAT EXPECTATIONS ★ ★ ★ CURIOSITY SHOP ★ ★ HARD TIMES ★ THE WORST OF TIMES FILM By Teodor Reljic A Christmas confection that goes down a treat London calling: Dan Stevens is Charles Dickens x THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS (PG) ★ ★ ★

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