The Christmas Candle

Christmas movies are a cottage industry. I don't mind watching them because I know the ending will always be happy. Now "The Christmas Candle" is not a great film. The film fails on at almost every level. The film is almost " A Touched By Angel" episode! It never rises above that level. It could of been better What it does well is that it sends the message about hope faith and miracles. The film however redeems itself in the final act and that was a miracle.

The film looks beautiful. The sets make you think you are back in the late 19th century. The films screenplay however is borderline terrible but it does have a great final act.

In this film Deep in the heart of the English countryside lies the enchanting village of Gladbury. Legend has it every 25 years an angel visits the village candle maker and touches a single candle. Whoever lights this candle receives a miracle on Christmas Eve. But in 1890, at the dawn of the electric age, this centuries old legend may come to an end.

Now despite the flaws it is still worth seeing. Family Safe. Most kids will be bored and so will most adults. I did however love the final 10 minutes

The Christmas Candle (2013) -

I loved how completely different this film is from the other Seasonal Specials out there and I loved the message that it was trying to send. Don't wait 25 years for a miracle for yourself, when you could be the miracle someone else needs.

So while the candle was a magic idea, the sense of community that the Reverend Richmond (Hans Matheson) built was a far greater power.

It's more of the idea previously explored in 'A Christmas Carol'. How long is the chain you have forged in life? Could you make it shorter by visiting an elderly relative or giving items to a food bank? The small things count as much as the big ones, especially if you do lots of the them and it's like Julie Andrews said in her song 'The Secret Of Christmas' - "It's not the things you do at Christmas, but the Christmas things you do all year through" and that's exactly what the reverend was saying in this film regardless of the miracle candle.

What I also enjoyed about this one was that, despite it centring on a reverend new to a very religious parish, where they all had faith in a candle allegedly sent by God, it wasn't overly religious in the usual God-Bothery, Bible-Bashing way. Yes faith was discussed, but as I've mentioned above, the message of loving one another was the prominent one, even the Nativity and such are hardly explored.

There were some religious elements that I did find odd and I didn't understand why he couldn't give comfort to the sick man. I could only assume that he was having a crisis of faith in that moment?

If I could change anything about this film, which was otherwise relatively well cast, it would be Susan Boyle. There is no denying that the woman does have the voice of an Angel, but I couldn't be sued for libel for saying that she can't act for toffee and it was actually a bit cringey to watch her try.

There were some great actors working here though, that probably don't get the credit they're really due. Samantha Barks for one and James Cosmo for another. She was effortless and he must be one of the hardest working men in the biz. If you haven't seen him in 'All The Queen's Men' (2001) it's definitely worth a watch.

John Hannah did the great job he always has too.

I watch it every Christmas and each year I find more to love about it.

850.77/1000.

This film was beautifully written and well acted. I normally don't leave reviews but I saw that Lesley Manville complained about Susan Boyle being chosen for a role as she felt she could only sing and not act, so I felt compelled to put in my own opinion.

First of all, Ms. Boyle has a truly angelic voice. But she thoroughly surprised me by being a very good actress who is a pure natural in this film. She speaks and acts as if this is a real life situation and pulls the viewer into the film. She is not trying to gain accolades or steal the screen from anyone...she is simply doing her job. And what a wonderful job she did, especially for it being her very first time! What a very humble woman she is, indeed. Perhaps Lesley Manville could use a lesson or two in manners and humility?

Having said that, all in all, this film is a breath of fresh air compared to all of the rubbish being shown these days. Your children could watch this and not leave you worrying about nudity, violence or foul language. It opens up all sorts of possibilities for children to ask genuine questions about their own beliefs and for adults to ponder things such as faith, hope and...dare we even think it?...Miracles!

I give it 10 stars b/c ALL the actors did a wonderful job at pulling the viewer into the story and holding our attention in a very comfortable way. The world needs more films like this that are clean and refreshing. Well done everyone! And thank you!

I went to watch this movie knowing it was a tale about hope, inspiration and people. I was not disappointed, enjoyed the characters and message from beginning to end. It is the absolute opposite from zombies, explosions, murder and mayhem, and is all the better for it. Not sure if the movie is true to every historical aspect of the time portrayed, but that is not the point. While the audience was small, there were applause at the end, and some folks wiping their eyes and not rushing to get out of the theater. Beware the onion ninjas when watching. Watch this movie with an appreciation for the human spirit and faith, you will not be disappointed and wish we had more movies like this to watch instead of the normal trashy Hollywood fare.

Plot In A Paragraph: In the heart of the English countryside lies the village of Gladbury. Legend has it every 25 years an angel visits the village candlemaker and touches a single candle. Whoever lights this candle receives a miracle on Christmas Eve. But in 1890, at the dawn of the electric age, this centuries old legend may come to an end. When David Richmond (Hans Matheson), a young minister, arrives in Gladbury, the villagers discover a new formula for miracles: good deeds and acts of kindness. While David's quest to modernize Gladbury sets him at odds with the old world candlemaker (Sylvester McCoy) he finds an unlikely ally in the lovely skeptic, Emily Barstow (Samantha Barks). Now, the fiery candlemaker must fight to preserve the legacy of the Christmas Candle.

Not sure why I've read so much hate about this movie, it has some good performances especially Barks, McCoy and John Hannah. Susan Boyle is here too, and she performs admirably. It's far from perfect but it was a pleasant way to spend a cold winters afternoon.

I have loved Samantha Barks since I first seen her in "Les Miserables" I think she is both gorgeous and talented, and will continue to look out for her work.