Christmas culture 2015MoviesStar Wars: The Force Awakens is the monster rolling into your local multiplex, but there’s plenty of romance, comedy and horror too
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Here it is: set to be the biggest film of the year, or maybe the decade. It’s the movie that many think George Lucas should have given us in 1999, instead of the massive creative mistake that was the prequel-trilogy beginning with The Phantom Menace. This is Episode VII, the first of a new trilogy, set around 30 years after Return of the Jedi, bringing back Chewie, R2-D2 and C-3PO (all ageless) and a more distinguished looking Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, now with a military title: General Leia Organa. Adam Driver plays dark warrior Kylo Ren and Oscar Isaac is Poe, an X-Wing pilot. This could turn Christmas into one big comic convention.
On general release from 17 December.
Carol
Todd Haynes’s superbly directed and designed movie is based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith and features outstandingly intelligent performances from Cate Blanchett as the elegant, soon-to-be-divorced Carol in 1950s New York and Rooney Mara as Therese, the young department store assistant who falls in love with her. It’s a subversive lesbian love story with something almost narcotic in its dreamy sensuality. It is a fascinating and deeply intelligent commentary on Highsmith’s work and also a pleasing homage to David Lean’s Brief Encounter.
On general release from 27 November.
When Harry Met Sally …
This 1989 gem, written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, is being reissued across the UK and Ireland, screening as part of the BFI’s Love season. Starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as two best friends who wonder if they might have sex, When Harry Met Sally … more or less reinvented romantic comedy for the next decade, introducing the subtly different idea of a “relationship comedy”. At the time, it was much admired for being an old-fashioned Woody Allen comedy of the sort that Allen no longer seemed interested in doing. Yet Ephron had a genuine interest in what was going on inside the woman’s head that Allen arguably couldn’t match. Great supporting turns from Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher. Always a joy.
On general release 11 December.
Snoopy & Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie
The new Peanuts animation is co-written by Craig and Bryan Schulz, respectively son and grandson of the strip’s original creator, the late Charles M Schulz. It will be intriguing to see if the new feature can capture the sharp wit of the original drawings – the TV shows and feature-length cartoons of the 70s now seem a bit tame, with their laid-back feel and faintly muzak-jazzy musical score. But there’s an enormous amount of goodwill to draw on.
On general release 21 December.
Krampus
This horror-comedy gives us the dark side of Christmas. According to ancient European folklore, Krampus is the evil twin, or wicked brother, or anyway the dark mirror-image of Santa Claus himself. He is Mr Hyde to Santa’s Dr Jekyll. Where Santa rewards good little boys and girls with presents, Krampus will punish wrongdoers horribly. A little boy, depressed by the arguments of his dysfunctional family, turns his back on Christmas and summons the horrifying Krampus into his unhappy home.
On general release 4 December.
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