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In the beginning of the new Australian film “Christmess,” which follows the story of an alcoholic actor attempting to change his ways, one character poses a question that is often asked by movie enthusiasts: what is the best Christmas movie? The main character, Chris (played by Steve Le Marquand), responds with a popular answer that has been circulating on the internet for the past twenty years: “Die Hard,” the action-packed classic starring Bruce Willis, which has sparked discussions about what truly qualifies as a Christmas film for many years.
If Christmess – a very absorbing film, tenderly written and directed by Heath Davis – were a more banter-prone production, the characters might’ve waded into the debate themselves. For instance: what’s the difference between a film set during the festive season and a film about Christmas? It’s a perfectly fine argument to have with relation to Hollywood, a huge purveyor of yuletide fare. But not so much for Australia, given this country, for a long time, had few examples of either.
Australia has a limited selection of Christmas favorites, such as the 1947 film Bush Christmas with Chips Rafferty and the 1983 remake which marked Nicole Kidman’s film debut. Other notable titles include Bushfire Moon from 1987, where Bud Tingwell plays a deceitful character who is mistaken for Santa Claus, and the chaotic comedy Crackers from 1998.
Recently, local movie creators have been adding to the holiday-themed film selection. Just this year, there have been three new Christmas movies set in Australia: Christmess, A Savage Christmas (a dysfunctional family dramedy), and Jones Family Christmas (centered around bushfires).
In the previous year, there was a holiday film called Christmas Ransom that featured thieves stealing from a toy store. This year, we have Christmas on the Farm, which follows an Australian who now lives in New York and fakes being a genuine farmer to get a book deal. A Sunburnt Christmas, released in 2020, starred Daniel Henshall as a criminal trying to recover a bag of stolen money. He enlists the help of children who believe he is Santa due to his deceitful tactics.
Now that we have a considerable number of gifts under the Christmas tree, it begs the question: which are the top Australian films for the holiday season?
We’ll begin with the dramas. Both versions of Bush Christmas are average films with lively, outdoor stories about kids trying to catch horse thieves. Bushfire Moon is slightly better, with Bud Tingwell playing a charming Santa-like character in a pleasant but overly-simplified tale about a farming family struggling with droughts. The ending neatly ties everything together, but relies a bit too much on predictable miracles.
In the meantime, Christmess is anything but Disney-like and there are definitely no miracles involved. Le Marquand portrays the main character, Chris, an alcoholic actor, with a relatable and downtrodden demeanor. With support from his sponsor Nick (played excellently by Darren Gilshenan), Chris struggles to stay sober, especially when he unexpectedly reunites with his estranged daughter while working as a mall Santa.
The movie concludes in a bittersweet manner, leaving room for hope but without any cheesy elements. In my opinion, it could be considered the finest Christmas drama in Australian cinema, although this may depend on our interpretation of a Christmas drama.
There’s also, you see, 2007’s Boxing Day, which isn’t just a great Australian film but in my opinion one of the best from the noughties. Configured to resemble one long continuous take (in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman), director Kriv Stenders follows another down-and-out man named Chris (played with distressing brilliance by Richard Green). He’s living in home detention, nervously preparing lunch for his family.
Similar to Chris from Le Marquand, he desires to avoid any problems, but it ends up being a rough journey. The situation takes a turn for the worse when an old acquaintance (Stuart Clark) unexpectedly appears and puts him in a difficult position.
The movie features various elements of Christmas, such as the anxiety of cooking a meal, the dread of being with family, and the apprehension of eating said meal with said family. However, it takes place on Boxing Day, so it may not be considered a Christmas film. It brings to mind a quote from Maxwell Smart: “missed it by that much!”
Here are some humorous anecdotes for you. However, the latest ones have not been very impressive. “Christmas on the Farm” from 2021 is a mild and unoriginal comedy, while “Christmas Ransom” from last year is clumsy and overly sweet. On the other hand, “A Savage Christmas” adds a hint of novelty to the dysfunctional family storyline, but it falters in its conclusion.
Instead of trying to understand the quirks of Australian culture, writer and director David Swann’s 1998 film fully embraces them. It indulges in the festive season antics of a typical suburban family, and even includes a dramatic scene where the family dog accidentally causes a barbecue explosion. This fits in with a common theme in Australian films where dogs often meet tragic fates (such as in Snowtown, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Red Dog, and Tracks). While the film may be chaotic, it has a lively energy and cleverly involves the camera in the humor.
One of the pleasures of A Sunburnt Christmas is that it, too, evokes comedy through visual staging – and it also has a much more satisfying storyline to boot. By the time this playful bad-Santa picture gets into the cuddly stuff, it’s very much won us over. It’s my pick for Australian cinema’s best Christmas comedy. Depending on how you define – oh, here we go again …
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What is your preferred Australian holiday movie? Let us know in the comments section.
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You can watch Christmess on Binge starting December 15th via streaming.
Source: theguardian.com
