EBENEZER
(12A) 116mins
★★★★☆
I FEEL it’s important to start this review by sharing that, for decades, I’ve had a tradition I never break. I read .
When I saw there was yet another adaptation of wonderful book, I felt exasperated.
As, let’s face it, nothing can beat performance as Scrooge in 1992’s . Or so I thought.
It seems has had an admirable go at playing the deeply complicated Ebenezer Scrooge that many perform as a caricature.
Directed by Ti West, best known for horror films, it starts, unusually, with a scene between Scrooge and his business partner Jacob Marley (S).
The pair work together on Christmas Eve and ridicule employee Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint) when he tries to leave a couple of minutes early.
And while Scrooge is mean and mealy-mouthed, he admires Marley, whom he clearly looks up to.
But he finds his old colleague on the floor of the office, having died. At his funeral, not a single soul comes to pay their respects.
Fast forward seven years and Scrooge’s heart has grown even colder.
He has no concern for others’ suffering, and when his nephew Fred (Sam Claflin) asks him to join him and his wife () for Christmas dinner, Scrooge responds with mockery.
Then a heavily chained Marley visits and warns Scrooge he will be haunted by three spirits, all of whom are scary characters.
The Ghost of Christmas Past (Andrea Riseborough) has fearsome white eyes and a no-nonsense approach, giving Ebenezer heartbreaking scenes of his old love affair with Belle (Ellie Bamber).
The second ghost (Tramell Tillman) shows Scrooge the present, where he sees his colleague Cratchit and his poor son, Tim, trying to negotiate church pews.
And I think we all know where the third ghost takes him.
Set in mucky, cold Dickensian London, the film highlights the different lifestyles of those born into poverty or wealth throughout.
This fine adaptation somehow brings new energy to the story. And there’s a carol scene that made tears roll down my face.
Frightening and fun, it is also a thoughtful film that shows the joy of Christmas doesn’t depend on class.
It is about kindness for our fellow man, without a single Humbug.
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PRIMA FACIE
(15) 106mins
★★☆☆☆
CONVICTION rates for rape are terrifyingly low, especially when stats show one in three women will be the victim of sexual abuse in their lifetime.
Many put a portion of the blame on aggressive defence barristers, whose job it is to find weaknesses in a victim’s story.
In this film, Cynthia Erivo plays one such lawyer, Tessa, who has fought her way from a working-class background to become one of the country’s finest legal minds.
But when she is raped by a colleague she is dating, Tessa has to navigate the humiliating and deeply frustrating world of reporting the crime – and being believed – as well as eventually facing cross-examination on the stand.
Adapted from the hugely successful one-woman play by Suzie Miller, this film version feels as though something has been lost in translation.
Erivo is undoubtedly a talent, but she doesn’t shine in this role, with flat voiceovers and dull internal dialogue.
It feels as though this hugely important subject matter has been made smaller for the big screen.
And it would not feel out of place as a Sunday evening TV drama.
HOW TO ROB A BANK
(15) 122mins
★★★☆☆
THIS high-speed heist movie revolves around a crew of social media-savvy – and incredibly good-looking – bank robbers who want to cause anarchy.
Led by Ryan (Nicholas Hoult), the gang includes his wife (Anna Sawai) and best pal (Pete Davidson).
Together, they make online content showing the world all the tricks to get away with daylight robbery.
This involves a lot of high-tempo broadcasts in the style of music videos that are watched by millions of devoted followers.
But, unfortunately for the overly confident gang, a veteran FBI agent (John C. Reilly) seeks the help of a genius hacker (Zoe Kravitz) to stop them in their tracks.
What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase between the gang and the kindly cop, who sympathises with the reasons behind their crimes. But soon things get very dangerous, with gun battles and extreme sacrifices made to get the robbers’ messages out.
Directed by David Leitch (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy) with his typically frantic, fast-paced approach, it can feel a little trying at times.
Strangely, despite its energy, the film drags in places. But thankfully, the stellar cast save it.
