Harry's nearly better now but I've got swine flu now :(
Harry's nearly better now but I've got swine flu now :(
Member since:12.04.2007
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I absolutely adore Christmas films, and my favourite ones are actually aimed at Children; The Santa Clause, Elf and Home Alone. I find the cuteness is perfect at this time of year, and there is nothing better than sitting in the dark on a winter's evening than watching one of those films. But the other evening, Channel 5 were showing a preview of an adult Christmas film, one I hadn't seen before called 'Bad Santa', and I was quite intrigued to see just how Christmassy this was going to be. So my other half and I settled down to watch, not quite expecting the brilliant film that was shown!
Willie and Marcus have an unusual business going on. Every year, they get a job as Santa Claus and his elf in big department stores across the country. Then on Christmas Eve, they rob the place of all the money and anything they want, then flee town. Apart from this, Willie isn't exactly the sort of Santa you'd imagine. He drinks far too much, he swears too much, he doesn't care about the kids and their wishes and hates his job. But when he unexpectedly meets Therman, a kid obsessed with Santa, he slowly starts to change his thoughts and ways a bit. But is it enough to turn Bad Santa good?
You're
probably thinking that this doesn't sound like a very nice Christmas film. And you're right - it's rude, it's very crude and not at all Christmassy but it IS hilarious! This is most definitely a Christmas film for adults, designed to deliver on laughs and humour and boy does it do that. I'll be honest and say that when it started I was very unsure whether to bother because it didn't seem my sort of thing at all, but I decided to bear with it and I am glad I did. The odd start paves way for the odd story which quickly becomes very funny, although made me cringe quite a bit with its rudeness! At nearly 2 hours long, the film manages not to drag at all but keeps the viewers hooked with its great one-liners and quick changes of direction, and the development of the relationships between the characters is realistic but hilarious!
Without a doubt, what makes this film so watchable is the brilliant performance given by its lead actor, Billy Bob Thornton. I'll be honest and say I haven't really seen in much before, maybe only the bit part in Love Actually as the President, but he was absolutely brilliant in this film. He totally embraced the character of Willie and you could easily believe he was a drunk, horrid old man! The scenes of him being Santa in the department stores were simply hilarious, and no matter how awful you think he is, he just gets worse! His co-star Tony Cox who plays the elf Marcus was also fantastic and the pair worked so well together, with a really great comedy partnership all the way through. Lauren Tom appears briefly as Lois, Marcus' other half and is very funny but is very underused in the film.
However, you can't watch this film and fail to praise the young actor Brett Kelly who plays the Santa obsessed sweetie Therman. I'll fully admit I sat there cringing with the scenes between him and Thornton because of the language and themes discussed, but its all part and parcel of this sort of film and he was amazing, holding his own with these big names despite his young age. The whole ensemble worked together brilliantly, and made the film a very easy watch because of this. Thornton was definitely the star but his co-stars all were great too. The late Bernie Mac also plays a good turn in his role as the Security Manager Gin at one mall, and bounces off of Thornton and Cox with ease, and made me laugh on screen.
In terms of Christmassy-ness (is that even a word?!), this film doesn't compare to the likes of Home Alone and Elf, but in its own way it works. I think because its aimed at adults it doesn't need to slap on the Christmas trees, the Christmas carols and snow everywhere, just the slight hints work okay for this film. Of course, the Santa outfit is ever present (albeit hanging off a drunk!) and so is the Christmas spirit in Therman, which is really just enough for this movie. But despite the title, the film isn't really about Christmas as such - it's about how someone lets life get a bit on top of them and then sends them in a downward spiral, and how you can find help in the most unlikely of places. Despite its rudeness and crudeness throughout (my poor ears!), there is a nice little message hidden in there to warm your heart by the end!
This is definitely not the normal sort of Christmas film I would choose to watch over the festive period, but now I've watched it, I must say its going to be one that my other half and I are going to watch late one December evening every year! It's a nice comic relief, with a stellar cast who pull off a great performance, and a superb leading man in Billy Bob Thornton. It's worrying how well he pulls off the lechy drunkard lol, but he really is brilliant. As I said, its not full of festive cheer and cute children singing, but its a funny adult film to giggle at over Christmas! Definitely recommended, but not for the faint-hearted!!
Main Cast:
Billy Bob Thornton ... Willie Tony Cox ... Marcus Brett Kelly ... The Kid Lauren Graham ... Sue Lauren Tom ... Lois Bernie Mac ... Gin John Ritter ... Bob Chipeska
On Amazon for £4.98 (Dec. 08)
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Instantly qualifying as a perennial cult favorite,Bad Santais as nasty as it wants to be, ... more
and there's something to be said for comedy without compromise. The Coen brothers conceived the basic idea and served as executive producers, but it's director Te...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
He doesn't care if you're naughty or nice.When washed-up, crooked and corrupt department ... more
store Santa, Willie T. Stokes (Academy Award Winner Billy Bob Thornton, Best Screenplay, 1996, Sling Blade) isn't making appearances at shopping malls, he's a safe...
Instantly qualifying as a perennial cult favorite,Bad Santais as nasty as it wants to be, ... more
and there's something to be said for comedy without compromise. The Coen brothers conceived the basic idea and served as executive producers, but it's director Te...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![Bad Santa [DVD] [2003]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78484586.jpg "Bad Santa [DVD] [2003]")
Dec 27th, 2008
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