The Man Who Invented Christmas
The Man Who Invented Christmas
PG | 22 November 2017 (USA)
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In 1843, despite the fact that Dickens is a successful writer, the failure of his latest book puts his career at a crossroads, until the moment when, struggling with inspiration and confronting reality with his childhood memories, a new character is born in the depths of his troubled mind; an old, lonely, embittered man, so vivid, so human, that a whole world grows around him, a story so inspiring that changed the meaning of Christmas forever.

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Alicia

I love this movie so much

Acensbart

Excellent but underrated film

FirstWitch

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

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Juana

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

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Quickie Reviews

Now this kind of a movie is really a treat for book lovers in general and Dicken's fans all around the world. Why? Because it really shows you how an idea is conceived and how a writer struggles to put it on paper while dealing with the life that runs around him/her. This movie diligently explores the period of Dicken's life when he was suffering through a financial crisis too and was adamant to keep it hidden from his family while keep his extravagant lifestyle still in order. When he pitched his publisher the idea of The Christmas carol who was reluctant to invest on him anymore due to past few failed books, writing this became imperative not only because of the passion he felt for what was coming but also as this was his only way out. When the support of the publisher is ultimately denied, he decides to publish it himself.The Man who invented Christmas beautifully depicts this journey of writing The Christmas carol. We also get a glimpse of the tragic and lesser known phase of Dicken's childhood where he was abandoned to work in labour factories due to his father's irresponsible ways. While reminiscing some of the most painful memories and trying to decode his fictional tale, dickens start writing the Christmas carol and healing some of his long hidden demons.The screenplay is strictly kept in the confines as to understand the psychology of the writer who gave us one the best Christmas tales ever created. Charles Dickens is played with adequate charm and perseverance by Dan Stevens. The characters of the book are also provided a real presentation on screen as real people crowding Dickens at all times. I don't really need to comment about Christopher Plummer's acting because he is flawless and he so aptly portrays the role of scrooge that we only knew so well in our minds so far. He is dark, mocking and disturbs even Dickens while dealing with him on paper. His darkness is hard to break. But dickens wins at the end as the history says it all through the book's success. All the supporting characters of the movie provide enough spine to keep the movie going without feeling lacking of a narrative. The old world charm is kept strong with a great production backing it up. Please treat your kids to this gem while keeping their innocence alive. Even with some depicted darkness, this will only be empowering to their minds as it wraps up really well.Visit the Blog:- quickiereviewsmovies.blogspot.com

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lavatch

The intention of this film was to offer insights into the genius of Charles Dickens in the writing of his beloved novel "A Christmas Carol." Unfortunately, the clumsy and meandering fantasy was an unconvincing portrayal of how a gifted writer becomes inspired.The film started well as we see the 32-year-old Dickens struggling to undertake a new writing project after three poorly received works, including "Martin Chuzzlewit," "Barnaby Rudge," and "American Notes." As Dickens wanders about London, he begins to get an idea for a Christmas tale based upon the people he is observing on the streets.It is at this point that the filmmakers make a wrong turn by having Scrooge and the other characters appear to Dickens in the flesh and guide him through the story. The film thereby turns into a "gimmick" in which we see the characters acting out their roles in front of the quizzical Dickens, who seems in a fog about all of these literary characters appearing before him as strange apparitions! In turn, we are forced to re-live Dickens' hardscrabble childhood when, at age twelve, he was forced to work as a grimy and "scabby" little factory boy, pasting labels onto jars of black boot shoe polish in a rat-infested factory filled with vile little street urchins who verbally abuse "Charlie" because he thinks that his spendthrift father is a gentleman.A second flaw in the film was to turn Dickens himself into a Scrooge, whose shabby treatment of his father and other characters ultimately leads him to an awakening to "let bygones be bygones" and bring holiday cheer to one and all. The great realization that comes to Dickens is that "no one is useless in this world that lightens the burden of another." In the act of writing "A Christmas Carol," Dickens is supposed to be lightening the collective burden of the world. Unfortunately, the excessive sentiment was forced and artificial. For us as the audience, the "burden" was to be forced to sit through this silliness.While the Victorian costumes were effective and the performers were well-cast, the ultimate effect was neither a compelling biographical film nor a serious attempt to understand the way that a novelist develops characters and narrative. Above all, the attempt at fantasy never worked.The publication of "A Christmas Carol" on December 19, 1843, was undoubtedly a major literary event. It just wasn't celebrated very convincingly in this superficial film that portrayed the old "Boz" as a nasty old Scrooge.Bah! Humbug!

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beorhhouse

This film does for Dickens what no other film has ever done. It gives insight into his masterpiece A Christmas Carol. Not that insight is needed, but it is much appreciated notwithstanding. There are similar elements of the ridiculous film Pandaemonium here (over-excitedness and hyper-emotion), which is why I only give it a 9/10. Still, this film is a delight for the whole family, even if the aged waiter in the public house vulgarly (and comically) wrestles with a wine bottle held between his legs until the cork pops.

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rrandall-120-483318

With 2017 behind us, THIS should have been movie of the year... or at least nominated for an Oscar.I've never liked "A Christmas Carol" because it indoctrinates the audience (whether in text or video) to a psychological dysfunction called "Karpman's Drama Triangle". People who are "stuck" in Karpman's Drama Triangle view the world as everyone falling into one of three categories... victim, persecutor or rescuer. And through this story, one can easily see that Dickens was firmly entrenched in Karpman's Drama Triangle! If you're reading this thinking; Yes. Of course everyone falls into one of those 3 categories... then congratulations. You've just diagnosed your own psychological dysfunction (and I recommend you work on breaking free of it).What drew me to this movie was curiosity over whether it would depict Dickens himself having this dysfunctional map of reality. Not only did it do so... it did so brilliantly! People "stuck" in Kaprman's Drama Triangle tend to move easily between the roles of victim, persecutor, and rescuer... but are most comfortable in one of those roles. This movie accurately depicted how Dickens was able to move between these roles in the creation of each character within the story. And it showed how his personal experiences influenced his values and perceptions to align with Karpman's Drama Triangle (which is a "learned" psychological dysfunction). This movie also accurately depicted how many fictional writers actually craft their stories... creating characters that "come alive" in the writers mind. And how many fictional characters are loosely based upon real people (including aspects of the author).First, read about Karpman's Drama Triangle... then watch this movie. That will leave you with a completely different perspective toward "A Christmas Carol".

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