Noel: 5 stories with no Christmas connection

December brings in an excellent spirit of cheerfulness and joy because of the impending end of the year and the merry festival of Christmas. It is a festival that is probably celebrated all over the world with the belief that people forgive and forget during the festive season to spread happiness and good tidings. Hollywood follows suit during the festive season with films about Christmas always having a sense of happiness and warmth to share with its audience.

Rose is a middle-aged woman who lives alone spare for her hospitalised mother. She is a divorcee who moved into her mother’s house after her marriage ended followed by the death of her father and her mother being struck with Alzheimer’s disease. She is about to spend Christmas Eve by herself but is invited to dinner by a young and handsome colleague from her workplace. Despite being attracted to him, she refuses his advances later in the night and decides to bring in Christmas by her mother’s bedside. She meets a young Hispanic girl named Nina who is having her own trouble with her jealous fiancé Mike while doubts of pregnancy loom in her head. Mike in turn is followed around by an old waiter named Artie who believes that Mike is the reincarnation of his dead wife. Lastly, Jules is a young man who is ready to cause harm to himself in the hope that he will be admitted to the hospital Rose’s mother is in because it was the location for his fondest Christmas memory ever.

Noel was written by David Hubbard and directed by Chazz Palminteri. It is a drama film with the theme of Christmas which was released in the year 2004 and stars Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin and Marcus Thomas. An important supporting role is performed by Robin Williams.

For a Christmas-themed film, it is uncharacteristically depressing. The filmmakers opted to make a film with reality forming the core. The characters and the situations were meant to feel real and not come across as made up stories. However, a Christmas film is expected to have a cheerful spirit. This film has none of it. It is expected to give the audience a warm and fuzzy feeling and provide them with hope. Unfortunately this film lacks that panache. In fact, even the attempt to make a realistic film can be considered a fail. For one, it is difficult to believe a person is so delusional as to think of young men as his reincarnated wife every Christmas and hope that they would forgive him for his mistakes. Secondly, the character of a young Charlie is meant to come across as Rose’s figment of imagination at the end of the film. It would be impossible for Rose to be able to picture Charlie in his youthful avatar considering she has never seen him before even as his present aged self. If she does know what Charlie looks like presently, she should have been surprised to have met him as a young man considering he appears to be her age in her imagination when he is in fact decades older than her.

The storyline has no ebbs and surges. There are multiple stories which are forcefully woven together to find a connection when there isn’t one. Most of the stories have a beginning, but no conflict, followed by an inconsequential ending. This film is not good; especially if one is looking to get into the Christmas spirit.

Sherlock Series 2

Quite often, we are faced with a dilemma of sorts when it comes to sequels. When we enjoy a certain show or film, it forms a benchmark in our heads for its sequel and many-a-times it does not live up to its own standards according to our expectations. This causes the problem of not wanting to watch the sequel or series in fear that it will cause disdain for the film or television show. But thankfully, the second series of the British television show Sherlock has no such problem.

Series two of Sherlock starts where it left off in the end of the first series. The cliffhanger is closed and Sherlock is faced with a new case in the first episode which is titled A Scandal In Belgravia. In this episode, Sherlock is forced to deal with a dominatrix called Irene Adler to retrieve vital data in her possession which can leave top officials in Britain with a red face. The second episode is called The Hounds of Baskerville where Sherlock must uncover the mystery of Baskerville which is reported to be haunted by huge hounds that have killed the residents of the town in the past. The third and final episode of the series is titled The Reichenbech Fall where Sherlock must battle with his arch nemesis, James Moriaty, as Moriaty proceeds to wipe out all traces of Sherlock’s credibility and leave him with no other option but to kill himself in order to save the lives of his family and friends.

Series two of the instalment does not necessarily outdo the first series. It lives up to the expectations which were set in series one and establishes the characters firmly within the context of the 21^st century adaptation. It plays on the ideas established in the first series and takes them forward, for example, Sherlock continues to place his faith in his homeless friends and trusts their network in the London underground to bring him information he finds necessary. There is also a greater exploration of Sherlock’s character and an emphasis on him being human. It does not show Sherlock as being an absolute mystery but shows a side of him which is mortal and fallible. The series shows that Sherlock needs his friends and confidants around him. It also shows that he can be wrong and make mistakes, that he is not a person without flaws and that his flaws can prove almost fatal. On more than one instance in the series, his mistake or his inability to arrive to the right conclusion on time proves to be a problem to himself and other people around him.

The series places less of an emphasis on Sherlock’s observation and deduction abilities. While they do play a major role in his crime solving as he goes about being a consultant detective, the first series had a lot more of Sherlock showing off to the audience using his quick and delicate observation powers. The series also has a tongue-in-cheek view of the relationship between Sherlock and Dr. Watson. While it is apparent that they are merely roommates and work together, Dr. Watson shows a sense of concern for Sherlock and his wellbeing while Sherlock admittedly enjoys Watson’s company; during this time, numerous reports keep popping up questioning their intentions of living and working together.

Series two of Sherlock is probably one of the most awaited television series of the year, especially after a viewing of the first series. Written by the same duo of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, this series is very interesting and entertaining all the same. It is quite original with its 21^st century relevance of an age old character that is Sherlock Holmes.

Game of Thrones Season 1

When it comes to television shows, there are very few series which can be claimed as being completely remarkable. Game of Thrones, a television series which is based on George R. R. Martin’s novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is a medieval fantasy-based tv show. It falls into the categories of complicated, diverse, imaginative, and truly remarkable. It is definitely a well written piece of fantasy fiction which has been produced excellently for an on screen adaptation in the form of a television series.

The first season of Game of Thrones is a faithful adaptation of the first book in the novel series, A Game of Thrones, which also lends its title for the entire television series. The plot picks up with the death of the Hand of the King, the second in command who takes care of the day-to-day operations in the kingdom in the absence of the king. King Robert Baratheon visits his old friend Lord Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark to ask him to take up the vacant post of Hand of the King. The king travels along with his wife Queen Cersei Lannister and children, the eldest of who is Prince Joffrey Baratheon. Also travelling with the king is Ser Jaime Lannister, brother of Queen Cersei and brother-in-law of the king. Thus, the opening of the series introduces the three most important families in the story, the Starks, the Baratheons and the Lannisters. The plot continues with Ned Stark accepting the position of second-in-command to the king while his son suffers an accident which cripples him for life. Ned Stark leaves his family home in the north and moves to the capital city called King’s Landing where he will take care of the matters of the state. During this time, he discovers that the previous Hand of the King was murdered while he was uncovering the truth about the king’s family. Ned Stark picks up where the last Hand left off and the story follows.

The series has an unlimited supply of characters, both starring and recurring, which makes it hard to follow. But nevertheless, this series is one of the most interesting fantasy tv shows to grace the screen in the recent past. The protagonist of the series is the family of Stark which comprises the patriarch Lord Eddard Stark, his wife Lady Catelyn Stark and their five children Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Ned Stark also has another son, Jon Snow, who was born out of wedlock and lives with the family in their castle.

The entire series is constructed in a fictional land of Westeros, with a parallel story running on an adjacent land called Essos. The characters can be divided based on their family line and the areas they are from, thus the most important family is the Starks who are the ruling family in the North, the Baratheons are the current monarchy and the Lannisters are related to them by way of marriage. The other important families in the story are the Targaryens, the previous monarchy who were overthrown by the death of the king and his children banished to the far off lands of Essos. Viserys Targaryen and his sister Daenerys roam the wastelands trying to find a way back. Finally, Daenerys is married off to Khal Drogo, leader of a nomadic tribe called Dothraki, in exchange for an army which will help Viserys take back the throne in Westeros. As the story unfolds, more households and families come into the fray to add depth to the plot.

The production value of the series shows with the excellent costumes, sets and props. The parlance in the series matches that of medieval monarchal times. In terms of letdowns in this series there are near to none, barring the long parade of characters which is less of a hindrance and more of a positive tick in the plot.

The series touches upon a long list of topics like loyalty, honour, pride, religion, hierarchy, crime, sexuality, morality, incest, and more. It is a truly well rounded plot which is crafted to perfection and executed splendidly. At the same time, the themes in the series may not be for everyone and will not suit the fainthearted and the weak-willed.

Game of Thrones serves as a paragon for fantasy tv shows and is a must watch as it can be enjoyed by all. It has the ability to convert a fantasy cynic into a fan.