The Christmas Candle (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
Set in rural England in the 1890s, 'The Christmas Candle' aims to be a timeless holiday classic -- it may be timeless, but while I enjoyed its snow globe sweetness, a classic it is not. When a young, progressive reverend named David Richmond (Hans Matheson) is recruited to come to the tiny British village of Gladbury, he quickly discovers that his parishioners believe that, every 25 yrs., an angel-blessed Christmas candle will create a special miracle for whoever lights it with a wish on Christmas Eve. His skepticism (mostly because his faith has been shaken since the untimely deaths of his wife & child) alienates not only the Old World candle maker Edward Haddington (Sylvester McCoy, of Dr. Who) & his bumbling wife, Bea (Lesley Manville, of Another Year) but also most of the other villagers.
Joining Rev. Richmond in his skepticism is sassy local, Emily Barstow (Samantha Barks, of Les Miserables), whose father (John Hannah, of Four Weddings & a Funeral) is gravely ill. Now, 1890 was the dawn of the electric age (light bulbs were supplanting candles), so the town's centuries-old legend could very well come to an end this particular Christmas. Determined to prove that acts of kindness (and not miracles) bring humans closer to God, Rev. Richmond delivers sermons & sets a Christian example by helping neighbors in need. And so, with Christmas fast approaching, the candle maker must fight to preserve the legacy of the Christmas Candle. But when said candle goes missing, the 'divine' & the 'earthly' collide in the most unexpectedly amazing Christmas that Gladbury has ever seen.
Adapted from a novel by Texas Pastor Max Lucado & directed by John Stephenson, 'The Christmas Candle' will draw comparisons to a December Hallmark television movie -- and rightfully so. Some of the narrative is muddled. The production design of the wintry town is beautiful, and yet, there's something off about it, as well; it LOOKS like a beautiful set which is built in the countryside, and not something authentic. The angel special effects are only so-so; mostly due to the low budget. There's little that's edgy or sophisticated about the filmmaking; not bad, but not overly impressive, either. Again, Hallmark. Fine, but nothing exceptional.
The performances, while totally fine, lacks some polish. Hans Matheson comes off best; he is earnest, but not cloyingly so. Samantha Barks - SO good in 2012's Les Miserables - doesn't really fit the mold of rural 1890's England (her speech pattern, perfectly cropped eyebrows, Dentyne white teeth ... wasn't buying it). I quite liked Barbara Flynn (a veteran British TV actress) who brings just the right verisimilitude as Gladbury's Lady Camdon. It's always lovely to see John Hannah. I enjoyed James Cosmo as the kindly Mr. Hopewell. And Britain's Got Talent's Susan Boyle appears in a handful of scenes as the quiet Mrs. Hopewell. Her acting is non-existent. But it's nice to see her and to hear her lift her voice in song. I'm actually surprised that they didn't utilize her or Samantha Barks' singing, more so.
This review might read fairly negatively, but I actually did like the film, on the whole. It's hard to DISlike, really. I typically enjoy Christmas movies -- they get me in the mood for the holidays. Everything about this film is well-intentioned. Despite the film's flaws and/or underwhelming aspects (lack of true mysticism or magic), it made me feel warm. It's a delightful little seasonal treat. It's gentle. And hard as I tried, I couldn't be swayed from the uplifting spirit of the final few minutes; particularly during the end credit sequence where the town sings a Christmastime hymn. Cynics will scoff at 'The Christmas Candle', but it's actually a saccharine sweet, picturesque holiday morsel that caters most to viewers with faith & viewers looking to curl up to something nice with some hot cocoa on a cold wintry night.
Joining Rev. Richmond in his skepticism is sassy local, Emily Barstow (Samantha Barks, of Les Miserables), whose father (John Hannah, of Four Weddings & a Funeral) is gravely ill. Now, 1890 was the dawn of the electric age (light bulbs were supplanting candles), so the town's centuries-old legend could very well come to an end this particular Christmas. Determined to prove that acts of kindness (and not miracles) bring humans closer to God, Rev. Richmond delivers sermons & sets a Christian example by helping neighbors in need. And so, with Christmas fast approaching, the candle maker must fight to preserve the legacy of the Christmas Candle. But when said candle goes missing, the 'divine' & the 'earthly' collide in the most unexpectedly amazing Christmas that Gladbury has ever seen.
Adapted from a novel by Texas Pastor Max Lucado & directed by John Stephenson, 'The Christmas Candle' will draw comparisons to a December Hallmark television movie -- and rightfully so. Some of the narrative is muddled. The production design of the wintry town is beautiful, and yet, there's something off about it, as well; it LOOKS like a beautiful set which is built in the countryside, and not something authentic. The angel special effects are only so-so; mostly due to the low budget. There's little that's edgy or sophisticated about the filmmaking; not bad, but not overly impressive, either. Again, Hallmark. Fine, but nothing exceptional.
The performances, while totally fine, lacks some polish. Hans Matheson comes off best; he is earnest, but not cloyingly so. Samantha Barks - SO good in 2012's Les Miserables - doesn't really fit the mold of rural 1890's England (her speech pattern, perfectly cropped eyebrows, Dentyne white teeth ... wasn't buying it). I quite liked Barbara Flynn (a veteran British TV actress) who brings just the right verisimilitude as Gladbury's Lady Camdon. It's always lovely to see John Hannah. I enjoyed James Cosmo as the kindly Mr. Hopewell. And Britain's Got Talent's Susan Boyle appears in a handful of scenes as the quiet Mrs. Hopewell. Her acting is non-existent. But it's nice to see her and to hear her lift her voice in song. I'm actually surprised that they didn't utilize her or Samantha Barks' singing, more so.
This review might read fairly negatively, but I actually did like the film, on the whole. It's hard to DISlike, really. I typically enjoy Christmas movies -- they get me in the mood for the holidays. Everything about this film is well-intentioned. Despite the film's flaws and/or underwhelming aspects (lack of true mysticism or magic), it made me feel warm. It's a delightful little seasonal treat. It's gentle. And hard as I tried, I couldn't be swayed from the uplifting spirit of the final few minutes; particularly during the end credit sequence where the town sings a Christmastime hymn. Cynics will scoff at 'The Christmas Candle', but it's actually a saccharine sweet, picturesque holiday morsel that caters most to viewers with faith & viewers looking to curl up to something nice with some hot cocoa on a cold wintry night.