Call Me Claus

Review Date 4/16/2019

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

The story is about Lucy Cullins, a successful but cranky producer at a home shopping network, hires an actor named Nick to play Santa Claus on the network she gets more than she bargained for..

This story doesn't focus on what i truly wants to be. A film about the commercialism of "Christmas" or a family comedy about a woman not believing that she is to be the next "Santa Claus". It could have been both. I think had this been given an extra 1/2 the filmmakers might of had something special. Given it was a tv-m they were forced to make a film a certain length to fit a 2 hour times lot.

The acting is fine but this is a film that is quit forgettable. After a nights sleep most adults will forget that they even saw film

Nick (Nigel Hawthorne) is nearing the end of his 200 year term as Santa Claus and needs to find his successor. Failure to do so will bring calamity such as the melting of the North pole ice cap.

Nick hopes to recruit Lucy Cullins (Whoopi Goldberg) someone who was a true believe in the spirit of Christmas as a young girl. However her father died in the Vietnam war soon after she sat on Nick's lap.

Now the grown up Lucy is a cynical grinch working for a shopping channel. Nick applies to be the Santa salesman for the shopping channel in the run up to Christmas, so he can get near Lucy an persuade her to take on his job.

The plot about finding a replacement Santa is a well worn one in these days of mass produced Christmas movies. This is indistinguishable for those types of quickly made and low budget films apart from having a better calibre cast.

Despite being made for cable back in 2001, Call Me Claus is not that funny or appealing. It actually wastes the talents of an Oscar winner and Oscar nominee.

This was Nigel Hawthorne's last film role. At least he got to play a sweet natured part, a far cry from his mean and cynical Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister.

The movie starts out slowly, but, gently evolves into a tale of overcoming past pain and disappointment. As with most Christmas stories the premise is sort of limited but has a great ending. Destined to become a classic, in my humble opinion.

Dated film now - but notable for a (somewhat overwritten) relevant , often humorous and grown-up script. Sets are not overly cheap and the pace moves along. Moral of the film is the invasion of consumerism into everything. Actor Hawthorne does a very professional job - shame he's maybe too old at this point. The let down (as usual) is Goldberg - who's spent 80% of her career phoning-in a performance and delivering a scene with the one aim of receiving the cheque for it. Utterly surprised she is ever employed as an actor.

When I first turned this film on I thought "Here's a film that's going to get a bad review", but actually as it progressed I found I quite liked the silliness of it all and realised that it is just the right amount of daft. It bears a likeness to "Miracle On 34th Street" in some respects and "The Santa Clause" in others, with a little bit of "A Christmas Carol" for good measure thrown in and it's funny and charming.

Whoopi is not expecting Saint Nick, who is superbly played by Nigel Hawthorne, to turn up and try to recruit her, but that's what happens. With the help of his really creepy head elf, Ralph, Nick gets work on Whoopi's TV show and the merriment ensues.

By the end of the film I was really feeling a bit of a glow and I didn't touch the port until afterwards I swear!