Movie Review #6: Elf

This week’s review is on Elf (2003) starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and Zooey Deschanel. Directed by Jon Favreau.

Upon seeing the TV spots for this movie last year, two things came to mind. 1) Not another Christmas movie. Each year brings another attempt to create a classic Christmas movie that will hold up to the likes of A Christmas Carol, White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. They never do. Instead we get Bad Santa and a big red sack full of other forgettables. Will Elf be any different? 2) Can Will Ferrell really be funny in a movie that is being targeted toward children? After all, most of his movie credits, Old School for example, include a great deal of sexual and immature humour. That is his trademark and that is what makes him funny.

Elf is about a human infant, Buddy (named after the Buddy Diapers he was wearing), who stowed away in Santa’s sack one Christmas Eve and was brought back to the North Pole by mistake. He was then raised by elves and taught the ways of Christmas, Santa and Candy Canes. Thirty years later, he is told the truth about his origin and travels to New York to find his real father and spread Christmas cheer.

This movie has a typical holiday formula: Introduce hero, hero meets girl, hero saves Christmas, hero gets the girl, everyone gets presents. What make this film unique is Will Ferrell’s performance. He is every bit as funny in this movie as any thing else he’s been in. He creates an innocence in the face of harsh reality that everyone can relate to. It is funny because it is the way things really are. His childlike character seems like an easy role for him. He plays off the dialogue so well that one would actually believe he is a child. Ferrell is funny and can also be very serious even when wearing his elf suit. He has really become a much better actor over the years. The exact opposite of Buddy is his real father, Walter (Caan), who is a high ranking business man, hardened over the years and a real jerk. Caan always delivers a stellar performance and the same holds true here.

Director Jon Faverau really shines in this film. His decision to introduce the movie in a ‘fake’ north pole and bring Buddy to real New York City is amazing! The sets in the first scene are right out of the old Rudolph TV specials complete with computer animated creatures! Everything is made beautiful and colourful in New York while still keeping the dirtiness and grittiness that we all know and love.

You will hear Zooey Deschanel sing in this movie. She has a wonderful voice that will undoubtedly bring hear some time in the studio in the near future.

Elf is the best Christmas movie to come out in the last ten years and will be around for years to come. It will pass the test of time and will find a place with the other Christmas classics for generations to come.

I will not be late next week.

Toast!