Twelve Films At Christmas - 13, 14 & 15

I know that fifteen is more than twelve but we have been busy on the film front this festive season and I promise to stop the thread at fifteen.

First up comes The Wife, a smooth blend of melodrama and comedy with Glenn Close in commanding form as the sinned-against wife of the title. Able support from Jonathan Pryce and Christain Slater. There are laughs and the not-so-hidden surprise is unwrapped gently without affecting the rhythm of the movie. Nor does the film outstay its welcome, so often a fault in pieces that want us to take them seriously. In the hands of lesser players this might have been of only passing interest but Close in particular boosts it close to the rank of first-class product. 70/100.

This next film took me scurrying to the historical reviews to check that my reaction to it was not over the top. I am pleased to report that I found affirmation in the hands of no less an authority than Roger Ebert. I've let thirty-six hours pass since watching Wonder Boys and, all things considered, I still think it is a brilliant piece of cinema. It may even be the best film I have seen in the last month - please bear in mind that The Third Man is included in those films. Michael Douglas is excellent as the perma-stoned writer/professor around whom the film revolves; Frances McDormand is, as usual, telling in support; Tobey Maguire is a convincing and amusing weirdo; Robert Downey Jr. is superb as a disaster-prone literary agent. Can I give it more marks than I gave The Third Man? Probbaly not but it's close. 93/100.

We finish with what I found to be something of a damp squib. The 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre seems to have attracted good reviews, most particularly for Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Mr. Rochester. I must admit I found him uncharismatic. Could just be me. Not by any means a bad film, just, for me, an uninvolving one. For something supposedly Gothic, I found it curiously anaemic. Sorry. Could be my inner philistine coming out again. 59/100. 

That's all for this Christmas. Happy New Year. May the road rise with you.