Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars
In Christmas Eve, the latest movie by Mitch Davis (The Other Side of Heaven) and produced by Larry King, six groups of people find themselves trapped in New York elevators during a power outage on Christmas Eve.
There's comedy, romance, angst, drama, intrigue, new revaluations, etc. Everything you would want in a movie. Only in Christmas Eve there's a little too much of everything. Each plot is spread thin as each character competes for screen time. This movie boasts an impressive/fun cast, including Patrick Stewart, James Roday, Jon Heder, among many others. The cast overall is quite large, and with them spread between six elevators there's only so much that can be done in terms of quality of plot.
In some ways this keeps the pace moving. As soon as the goings on in one elevator begins to wane the movie jumps to another elevator to "catch up." But also, because there are so many elevators we're watching, and because some elevators are more interesting then others, I would at times get bored with what was on the screen, wishing to see what was happening on another elevator, only to not see said elevator for quite some time.
And, in conjunction with the above statement, there are so many story lines and characters being thrown at us, so many plot points never get tied up. Quite a few plot lines or character motivations are never explained. For instance, what is the back story with the mermaid tattoo, hinted at but remaining a mystery throughout the end credits? Why did the character played by Jenny Oaks Baker, an incredible violinist, not want to play Silent Night, first playing it in staccatos, only to then play the song with full power and emotion? A great musical interpretation of a song with the hinting of a deeper plot, but no real follow through.
There's a lot of "no real follow through" with many plots, and with that comes many missed opportunities. Sure, the realities of life wouldn't tie everything up in a nice little bow, regardless of the Christmas season, all in one night. So the problem truly lies in how over stuffed this movie is with no room to breath.
Christmas Eve has the amazing actor Patrick Stewart, one of my all time favorites. His plot finds him trapped in an elevator, up in a high rise, alone. His elevator is on the outside of the building, completely exposed to the elements (which, by the way, how did he not get hypothermia?). His role is incredibly undervalued, and contains some of the biggest loose threads when the film is over.
Were there good moments? Yes. I laughed and cried. And some of the Christmas themes touched my heart. I enjoyed much of the film, but it left me wanting.
Christmas Eve is available on Digital HD and On Demand, including iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon Instant Video, Dish Network, Direct TV, etc.
MPAA: Rated PG for some peril, thematic elements and language.
No comments:
Post a Comment