No humbugs here: We're suckers for a holiday feelgood flick (except Fred Claus -- we're just not sure we can get behind Vince Vaughn fratting about with Paul Giamatti in a Santa suit, but we're trying to stay open-minded). Below are three movies bound to put you in the mood for a little spiked 'nog.
It's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Elf as a 243-year-old (that's not a typo) toy store owner seeks his successor. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (opens 11/16) stars Dustin Hoffman as the titular kook and Natalie Portman as his shop manager, but it's the script -- by Zach Helm, the pen behind the surreal Stranger Than Fiction -- and Jason Bateman as a straightlaced accountant that have us lining up. Trailer
A bloody Stephen Sondheim musical re-viewed through Tim Burton's fantastically distorted lens? Even without Johnny Depp as the murderous barber and Helena Bonham Carter as the woman who bakes his victims into pies, we'd be sold. Sweeney Todd opens 12/21. Trailer
A Disney tale about a cartoon princess named Giselle who comes to life and crawls into Manhattan through a manhole? We'd be wary of Enchanted (11/21) if it 1) didn't star Amy Adams, who had us at Junebug, and 2) didn't have such an uncommonly savvy script. "Grey's Anatomy"'s Patrick Dempsey as a single dad who takes Giselle under his wing doesn't hurt, either. Trailer
written on Thursday Nov 8, 2007
attend the tales.
