#REVIEW: “THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Bharat Nalluri-directed The Man Who Invented Christmas gives audiences a look at how Charles Dickens created one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time. At the core of the Dickens classic are pieces of Dickens himself in each of the characters, specifically the three ghosts and scrooge. The wonderful cast brings these characters to life in a new way we never have seen.

Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is struggling to write his newest novel and is constantly met with interruptions as well as a bout of Writers’ Block. This continues to worsen as his parents John and Kate (Jonathan Pryce and Morfydd Clark) come for an unexpected visit. Charles eventually is able to overcome his struggle and starts creating a world of characters that he sees and can interact with, the most notable of these characters being Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer). Through careful concentration, and conversations Charles has with Scrooge, he manages to write one of the most beloved and well-known Christmas stories of all time.

The Man Who Invented Christmas is highly-enjoyable thanks to the performances from leads Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer. Stevens who has been consistently fantastic in his career and is equally so here as a desperate Dickens. We’ve seen this character adapted several times in the past, but there is something to the performance that Stevens delivers that breathes new life to the character and provides some new insight to the characters of his Novella. Moreover though, it is Plummer who manages to steal the show with his performance of Ebenezer Scrooge, which is so perfect and well-acted, it makes you ponder how fictional the character truly is. The Writer-Creator chemistry between Stevens and Plummer also is a highlight and is the Movie progresses, we see how Dickens sees and finds himself in Scrooge.

Susan Coyne pens the Script here and does some fine storytelling. She manages to tell two separate stories, the one of Charles struggling to write his next massive hit, while intertwining it with his own childhood and relationship with his father. While the latter storyline is slightly weaker, it provides insight into the characters whom Charles creates for A Christmas Carol giving us insight as to why the characters act the way they do, and the inevitable change of heart that Scrooge ends up having in the Story. The well-crafted Screenplay weaves a story of a child raising himself to then make a name for himself and overcome the odds and adversity of everyone doubting his ability to create something as powerful as his early works is not only inspiring but also a fresh take on the old classic tale. The Man Who Invented Christmas is full of Christmas spirit and charm, with a healthy dash of Scrooge‘s cynicism.

Elevation Pictures release THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS on Friday, November 24, 2017.