It’s December and you know what that means…Christmas is knocking at the door!
All around the city you can feel the festive spirit pulsing through the air, so there’s nothing you can do but let yourself be carried away by the Christmas mood. Lights and decorations pop up at every window,balcony and shop front, without forgetting the large amount of presents under the christmas trees in our houses.
From New York to Paris, from Berlin to Rome December is the best month of the year. Maybe Christmas is celebrated differently in each country, but one thing is certain: it represents a period of celebration, excitement, joy and love for everyone.
I think that Christmas season is also a good opportunity to relax and enjoy some days off without being stressed like we are by everyday life.
It is the perfect time to stand by the fireplace and maybe read a book or drink a hot tea. One thing that I love doing in this period is watching Christmas movies with my family and friends.
There are a lot of movies of different genre that you can watch: from the classics “Cinepanettoni” to romantic dramas or also animated movies.
So I want to recommend you two Christmas movies to add to your list.
The first one is “Nightmare Before Christmas “, which is absolutely a timeless classic.
It is an animated musical dark fantasy film,written and produced by Tim Burton in 1993.
The Protagonist is Jack Skellington , king of “Halloween Town”. He is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween and one day he accidentally finds a door to “Christmas Town” and he stumbles into it. He is fascinated with this new idea of Christmas and he shares it with the citizens of Halloween Town. But unfortunately his plan screws up and puts Santa Claus in danger.
I think that is beautiful the opening of the movie:
“It was a long time ago, longer now than it seems,
in a place that perhaps you’ve seen in your dreams.
For the story that you are about to be told,
Began with the holiday worlds of old.
Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from,
If you haven’t, I’d say it’s time you begun.”
These words make me think of the English writer William Wordsworth ,because he is a man who has “more lively sensibility,more enthusiasm and tenderness,who has a greater knowledge of human nature,and a more comprehensive soul.”
So,as you may have guessed, this is not a simple animated film… It leaves several moral teachings, like never try to be who you are not,because it won’t work in the end, and it also provides an insight into the comparison between two different cultures.
The second movie,that I want to talk you about, is an upcoming movie (december 2022) that is called “Spirited”, with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.
This is a reworking of the classic story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens,but in this modern interpretation the story is from the point of view of ghosts.
The Protagonist is the Spirit of Present Christmas . Every year ,on the 24th of December, he chooses an evil person to be reformed thanks to the visit of three ghosts.But this time he chooses the wrong “Scrooge” and Present has to review his past,present and future.
The director of the movie,Sean Anders, mixes a typically Christmas spirit to a great musical show, without forgetting the comedy tone of the two main actors.
So now all you have to do is wearing your favorite Christmas pajamas, make yourself a delicious hot chocolate and enjoy these movies with your loved ones. I hope you will like them! Merry Christmas !
Ester Mulone VCC
