Shadows on the Wall

Ebenezer

dir Ti West
scr Nathaniel Halpern
prd Emma Watts
with Johnny Depp, Rupert Grint, Ian McKellen, Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Ellie Bamber, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Arthur Conti, Freddie Lee-Grey, Robert Strange
release US/UK 13.Nov.26
26/UK Paramount 1h56

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Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol once again proves how robust it is with this faithful adaptation. It's unsurprising that horror specialist Ti West leans into the spookier elements of the ghost story, which older children will love. And the casting also provides some enjoyment. But the over-familiar story undermines any real scariness, especially because it clings so closely to Victorian English flourishes, archly delivered dialog and goofy-freaky effects.

In 1840s London, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Depp) scowlingly dismisses Christmas, begrudgingly allowing his clerk Bob Cratchit (Grint) to have the day off but skipping dinner with his nephew Fred (Claflin) and his family. Then on Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his late partner Marley (McKellen), who warns Ebenezer to avoid his fate. He's then visited by spirits of the past (Riseborough), present (Tillman) and future (Strange), who reveal truths about his life. Horrified by what he sees, Ebenezer falls into despair, begging for a chance to change his selfish ways.

While this story is as resonant as ever, it seems odd that the filmmakers never play on the current hot topic of income disparity. Instead, they keep everything locked into the period, with smoky streets, grimy buildings, desperate beggars, gruesome workhouses, greedy rich and noble poor. The stylised approach allows us to remain untroubled by the economic injustice that runs right through the story, and it also leaves the gloomy nastiness feeling creepy but never remotely frightening.

Diving in with gusto, the solid cast is anchored by an unrecognisable Depp as the twisted, blustering Ebenezer. His gruff bitterness seems to have infected his entire body, and it's fun to watch him rediscover his younger, more optimistic self (Conti is terrific in flashbacks). McKellen, Riseborough, Tillman and a wordless Strange have a lot of fun in their scene-stealing roles, while Grint, Claflin, Ridley (as Fred's wife) and Bamber (as Ebenezer's lost love) give solidly earnest performances. And Lee-Grey is a delightful Tiny Tim.

For those who have never seen another adaptation, this well-made movie works nicely. And the rest of us will enjoy the reminder. But it's impossible to escape the feeling that West and writer Halpern missed a trick that might have made this version something special. Instead, everything seems trapped in murky Victorian shadows, from visual effects to costumes and sets, plus dialog that's lost in growling whispers. A more fresher approach could have punched Dickens' important themes in an even more resonant way.

themes, language, violence 9.Nov.26

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