Gaby
The New Year holidays are a wonderful opportunity to dive into quality cinema: finally, we can watch what we’ve been planning all year or revisit some classic films we’ve been meaning to see. It’s even better when a great atmospheric movie matches your holiday spirit. You’ve likely seen all the installments of the “Home Alone” franchise, “Die Hard,” and the Santa movies, or they’ll definitely be aired again on television. Here, we offer recommendations for some unconventional yet high-quality films that capture the Christmas and New Year spirit, guaranteed to enhance your celebrations.
“The Apartment” (USA, 1960, directed by Billy Wilder)
A great way to quickly climb the career ladder in early 1960s New York is to have an apartment (even if it’s rented) in the city center, near Central Park. Why? Because one day, your higher-ups will want to use it for some entertaining purpose, and that’s why the diligent and accommodating insurance clerk Baxter (Jack Lemmon) can’t refuse them, all for career advancement. Even if it means spending a night outside in the rain and catching a serious cold. Once he reaches the top of the corporate ladder, the seemingly modest Baxter nearly crosses paths with his boss (Fred MacMurray) when he falls for a woman he admires (Shirley MacLaine).
Those who, following my lead, watched this classic masterpiece on the big screen during the recent “Oscar” retrospective at a local theater this fall can attest: it’s a pure joy to be transported away from current worries for two hours, thanks to the enchanting beams of the projector and the expertly crafted story. It’s no coincidence that Billy Wilder’s film won five Oscars at the time. By the way, the New York setting could easily be swapped for Istanbul, Paris, or even Kyiv—why not? Wilder once said that the story could take place in any city on the planet, and as if echoing his words, an Indian remake was released in 1972. The pre-New Year atmosphere and everything surrounding it add a unique charm to this Oscar-winning film.
“Happy New Year!” (France, Italy, 1973, directed by Claude Lelouch)
As we know, miracles happen during the New Year, and for professional thief Simon (Lino Ventura), that miracle was his unexpected early release from prison—not so much for good behavior, but to place him under surveillance to solve a daring jewelry store heist in Cannes. “The world’s first psychological robbery,” as the thief himself called it. During this process, while spending time with his partner in the winter resort, Simon unexpectedly falls for the attractive and intellectually savvy owner of an antique shop, Françoise, and things start to go a bit off-script. But it’s worth waiting for the finale before jumping to conclusions.
Lelouch’s film, from the creator of the acclaimed cinematic hit “A Man and a Woman” (who humorously references his own work here—specifically, the film opens with a screening of “A Man and a Woman” for the inmates)—is less of a detective story or comedy and more of an adventurous crime melodrama about the very relationships between a Man and a Woman. The keys to this relationship are two main phrases spoken by the characters: “What is a woman in your understanding?” “A woman is a man who sometimes cries.” “And what is a man?” “A man is someone who always goes all the way.”
The upcoming holiday is a perfect opportunity to bring both definitions to life.
“Love Actually” (UK, France, USA, 2003, directed by Richard Curtis)
“Love is all around”—love is everywhere, just like in the timeless hit by The Troggs, which was covered by the Scottish band Wet Wet Wet in 1994 and topped the UK charts for 17 weeks. This is the song that the somewhat jaded yet self-deprecating pop artist Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) decides to cover just before Christmas. He replaces the word “love” in the song with “Christmas” and declares during one of his performances that if his new hit reaches the top of the charts, he’ll strip naked live on air. While Billy is a fictional character, in the film, he competes for the top spot against the real British boy band Blue.
In one way or another, this Christmas song accompanies the characters in nine parallel stories that intricately intertwine in pre-holiday London: a producer and a washed-up artist, best friends in love with the same girl but unable to voice it, a writer whose wife cheated on him with his brother and who falls for a Portuguese girl, a widower trying to build a relationship with his stepson, and ultimately finds love himself. There’s even a rather charming British Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant, who falls for his secretary Natalie (who catches the eye of the U.S. President, played by Billy Bob Thornton). The Prime Minister’s solo dance on Downing Street to a Pointer Sisters song is a delight, as is the brief and unexpected appearance of Claudia Schiffer, who reportedly earned £200,000 for her minute-long cameo.
“When the world around me brings me down, I think of the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport. Parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers and friends…”—this is how Richard Curtis’s masterpiece begins, a film that offers both laughter and tears, as well as Christmas and New Year miracles. Indeed, one can envy those who have yet to see it or haven’t watched it in a long time.
By the way, check out how prime ministers sometimes dance:
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (USA, 2005, directed by Tim Burton)
Meadows of sweet mint candy, a pink sugar boat sailing down a chocolate river, a high-speed glass elevator transporting you to a television room, trained squirrels, or mysterious creatures—the Oompa-Loompas, who once bowed to cocoa beans and now sing and perform choreographed numbers in a surprisingly odd manner. This sweet paradise, with its milk and chocolate rivers and jelly shores, is only accessible to five lucky children who manage to find a golden ticket to the famous Willy Wonka factory. The ticket, of course, is hidden in one of the chocolate bars. Finally, little Charlie Bucket from a poor family gets lucky, and along with the others, he enters the backstage of this sweet wonder.
It seemed that after the lavish 1971 musical featuring the incomparable Gene Wilder as Wonka, a scene from which became one of the first memes of modern times (“Come on, tell me how witty you are”), it would be hard to better adapt Roald Dahl’s tale. But the irrepressible storyteller Tim Burton took on the project, and Johnny Depp was cast as the chocolate mogul, looking absolutely amazing in the role. The latest computer technology worked wonders, resulting in a true fairy-tale magic with wonderful actors that you want to watch every year.
“The Holdovers” (USA, 2023, directed by Alexander Payne)
Every year, as Christmas approaches, students, faculty, and staff at Barton Academy leave campus for two weeks of winter break. However, a group of misfits, dubbed “The Holdovers,” inadvertently forms on campus, consisting of those who, for various reasons, aren’t going anywhere. Among them is Angus, whose mother decided not to take him on vacation due to personal matters. Thus, the young man is forced to spend the holiday season with other misfits, led by the most unbearable ancient history teacher, Mr. Hanem (Paul Giamatti), with his assistant being chef Mary, who mourns her son lost in Vietnam (the events take place in the 1970s, and the film even opens with a humorous title suggesting it’s from 1971).
Of course, Angus has the most unforgettable Christmas break: amidst various adventures, there are personal dramas, disappointments, and, conversely, new passions. Over these two weeks with this odd group of people, the young hero matures by several years. One can highlight the brilliant performance of the charismatic Paul Giamatti, while actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays the chef, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
