RobScene

‘Arthur! Christmas is not a time for emotion…’

Jessssus Christ. When I sat down to watch a low key British animation film called Arthur Christmas, I didn’t expect it to end with everybody in my front room being in floods of actual tears. I didn’t feel that emotionally drained at the end of Schindlers List for fucks sake.

Arthur Christmas starts out as an interesting concept with Santa’s two sons vying for the big man’s attention while trying to deliver a present that was missed on the first run. By the end, the film has turned into an emotionally devastating character study that reduced to me a gibbering wreck.

Normally by day 6 of this exercise I have started becoming a bit sick of sweetly, saccharine love ins but Arthur Christmas is just so damn good that it became irresistible. A smart story, laugh out loud humour, originality, that old Christmas spirit and that aforementioned emotion packed ending, make Arthur Christmas a surprise package in a genre full of samey schmaltzy bore fests.

Aardman Productions were at the helm for this 2011 Christmas extravaganza and they produced one of their finest works. Genuinely one of the best films I have done for this project. A true joy. I can’t even think of a pithy comment to end on…