Hey folks! Christmas is round the corner. It is that time of the year when we are surrounded by ‘all things good’. Christmas is all about lovely gifts, great food, family gatherings, snowflakes…your Christmas movie of the year.
A Christmas movie has to take place around Christmas eve and should celebrate the spirit of the festival. For some people it is the good old classic Christmas movies like Shop around the Corner(1940), Christmas in Connecticut(1945), It’s a wonderful life(1946), Miracle On the 34th Street(1947) that have stood the test of time. For others it’s a ritual to watch Die Hard(1988) on Christmas every year. The events in the movie take place on Christmas eve but it is far away from being called a Christmas movie. Tim Allen’s Santa Clause franchise also enjoys a favourable following. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation(1989) and Jingle All The Way(1996) enjoy their share of repeated viewing too. Bad Santa(2003) was a unique concept that refutes the entire concept of Santa Clause. For the longest time, Home Alone(1990) remained my favourite Christmas movie until I came across A Christmas Story(1983). A Christmas Story has become the quintessential Christmas movie for me.
Unfortunately for me, my generation never had that many Christmas movies. And over a period of time these Christmas movies were hijacked by ‘holiday movies’ like Valentine’s Day(2010) or New Year’s Eve(2011) which have the ‘feel-good’ factor in place.
Given the fact that we have already been through our share of Christmas movies and there’s not much that we can do besides repeatedly watch these classics every year, we have decided to come up with our list of Non-Christmas movies that you can enjoy around the Christmas eve.
- Going My Way (1944) – This movie abides
by the spirit of Christmas. The movie stars Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O’Malley who joins St. Dominic’s church as the new parish, whose unconventional ways don’t go down well with Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). The movie manages to solve the most complex problems of life with the simplest solutions, giving us a very positive reason to watch it on Christmas.
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – To
kill a mockingbird is based on Harper Lee’s novel by the same name. Inspired by Lee’s life experiences, the movie is about Atticus Finch (based on Lee’s father) an Alabama based lawyer who single-handedly tries to bring up his children by instilling positive values in them, in a town otherwise governed by racial inequality. The movie passes on the message of humanity without being preachy, even for once.
- Poseidon Adventure (1971) –
Disaster movies can be really fun to watch over Christmas and Poseidon Adventure
stands out in this genre. The ensemble cast lead by Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine and Shelly Winters make up for an adventurous Christmas movie that you can enjoy with your family.
- American Graffiti (1973) –
For me, American Graffitti remains George Lucas’s best movie as a director. The movie is about these group of friends who meet up for the last time before they leave town to join college. The movie takes on teenage love, break-ups, friendships, drive-ins, radio days, drag racing, high school gangs…..with some really great music from the 60s playing in the background. The movie is great for those who look forward to enjoy their Christmas with friends and cherish the bygone era.
- When Harry met Sally (1989) – The movie is a classic in the romantic comedy genre and serves as a great Christmas movie
for those who enjoy movies laced with some great writing (by Nora Ephron). Rob Reiner directs this movie about the off-on relationship between Harry(Billy Crystal) and Sally(Meg Ryan) that takes place over a period of time and relies heavily on some really memorable quotes.
“They should put the two sections together, real estate and obituaries– Mr. Klein died today leaving a wife, two children, and a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a wood-burning fireplace.”
- Back to The Future(1985)/Ferris Bueller’s Day Off(1986)–
Looking to take some ‘time-off’ this Christmas? Then these are just the movies for you. John Hughes’s Ferris Bueller’s day off has Ferris Bueller(Matthew Broderick), the notorious high school kid take an entire day off from school just to have his way with the principal and Robert Zemeckis’s
Back to the future has Michael J. Fox take off to 1955 to bring the love between his parents back on track. The movies enjoy the free spirit of Christmas making them for an effortless watch. Sit back and enjoy the journey of your life!
- Misery(1990) –
Who says you cannot enjoy a thriller on Christmas? You can when it’s a movie that is
set around a lot of ‘snow’. Misery is a great cinematic achievement by Rob Reiner who based his movie on Stephen King’s novel. The movie is driven by great performances by James Caan and Kathy Bates and……..a typewriter that saves the day!
The movie is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee!
- Fisher King(1991) –
Much like other Terry Gilliam movies, Fisher King is a great achievement in the fantasy genre. The movie has Robin Williams showcase his most emotional role till date. Jeff Bridges ably supports as a former DJ on the path of redemption. The movie makes you value life….of others and how your actions ultimately come back to you, inspiring us ‘to do good to others and let good come back to us’
- Forrest Gump(1994) –
Forrest Gump is the ultimate ‘feel good’ movie and an epic one at that. The movie has a unique character beautifully played by Tom Hanks whose life journey has him witness the greatest historic events in the history of America. The movie is inspiring from the word ‘go’ and makes for an effortless viewing on Christmas.
- All Woody Allen movies –
Woody Allen has been around for more than 60 years now and has already proven his mettle both as a great writer and a master director. His movies are all about love, family, complex relationships, break ups, nostalgia, great ensembles…and some mad humour. His movies make for a great watch on Christmas. if you really don’t want to put much thought into choosing your Christmas movie.
operation that is due in America the following month and she even gets a confirmation from her doctor. But the same day Mini goes missing. Bidya runs for help but falls victim to a fatal accident that sends her in coma. Enter SI Inderjeet Singh(Arjun Rampal) who tries to unravel the mystery by going through a diary written by one Durga Rani Singh. Is Bidya Sinha actually Durga Rani Singh? Why is Durga Rani 
Singh wanted in a murder and kidnapping case? Is Mini not her daughter? Why does Inderjeet Singh’s appear in her personal diary?
makes her performance all the more human. Arjun Rampal has really grown as an actor and his subtle performance commands respect. He, not even for once looks like a misfit in this movie that mostly comprises of Bengali characters. One such jovial Bengali character who was also seen in Kahaani as a policeman, is Kharaj Mukherjee (Pranab Haldar). The seasoned actor provides the much required relief in the otherwise serious setup. Manini Chaddha (plays Arjun Rampal’s wife) is another great find who is a natural before the camera and so is Gargi Bhardwaaj (who takes up from where ‘Bob Biswas’ left in Kahaani). Jugal Hansraaj tries hard to look mean. The camera work is fine and beautifully manages to capture the calmness of the city of Chandan Nagar. The screenplay and the editing is tight. Comparison with Kahaani is uncalled for as the whole setup is different. Kahaani 2 is a small film that strikes a chord with the audience, taking us for a thrilling ride at the same time.
Les Incompétents 