Mad about movies: Christmas edition

We suggest a couple of top-rated films, both showing in UAE cinemas, that the family can watch together during the festive season

Read more...

By Adam Zacharias

Published: Sat 24 Dec 2011, 11:44 AM

Last updated: Mon 12 Aug 2024, 3:35 PM

Arthur Christmas 3D

THE UK FIRES back its answer to Pixar’s already legendary canon of animated family films with Arthur Christmas.

The lighthearted fantasy-comedy from Aardman Animations exposes Santa’s (Jim Broadbent) ultra-high-tech operation hidden in the North Pole, which lets him deliver presents to children around the world in just one night.

Advertising
Advertising

Unfortunately, Santa’s household isn’t quite so orderly, as discord enters the usually happy house of jolly St. Nick. His son Steve (Hugh Laurie), primed to be the next Santa after his retirement, storms out – leaving a sudden weight of responsibility on the altogether less impressive Arthur (James McAvoy).

“The results are not only funny and fresh, but represent a new way of tackling the whole yuletide paradigm: Santa as a high-tech hereditary monarchy,” said John Anderson from Newsday.

Amy Biancolli of The San Francisco Chronicle agreed, saying, “It’s as bright and twinkling as a Christmas tree, decked with warmth and humour.”

(Arthur Christmas 3D currently has a 92% rating on rottentomatoes.com and a 7.2/10 rating on imdb.com.)

Trivia:

· The script for Arthur Christmas was co-written by Peter Baynham, who also wrote this year’s remake of Arthur with Russell Brand.

Hugo Cabret 3D

MARTIN SCORSESE MAKES an unpredictable turn into the world of children’s cinema with this adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Hugo is a young boy in early 1930s Paris, who becomes orphaned after his clockmaker father dies. The lad begins living hidden in an urban train station, cleaning its clocks and hoping to complete a machine he believes contains a message from his late dad.

The film, partly produced by Johnny Depp, has already been nominated for a slew of awards and had reviewers grasping for superlatives.

“One of the most magical viewing experiences of the decade so far,” said Richard Roeper of Richardroeper.com in a five-star write-up.

“Bursting with earned emotion, Hugo is a mechanism that comes to life at the turn of a key in the shape of a heart,” said Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine.

Asa Butterfield plays Hugo, with ample support provided by Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Chloe Grace Moretz and Ray Winstone.

(Hugo Cabret 3D currently has a 93% rating on rottentomatoes.com and an 8.4/10 rating on imdb.com.)

Trivia:

This marks Martin Scorsese’s first film without Leonardo DiCaprio since 1999’s Bringing Out the Dead.

Viva la Vida

Celeb-heavy London nightclub opens in Dubai

LONDON NIGHTCLUB MO*VIDA will open its doors in Dubai this Thursday.

Launching in the newly-opened Radisson Royal Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, the club aims to bring the best of European style and service to the city’s nightlife.

Its London counterpart is noted for its high-profile clientele - from Jay-Z and Cristiano Ronaldo to Kate Moss and Princess Eugenie.

The 7,800-square-foot club will boast two bar areas, 38 VIP tables and a capacity of 500 people.

Resident DJ John C will provide a mix of commercial house and R&B during the night, which lasts from 10pm to 3am.

Pop to The Sevens Stadium

Duran Duran will visit Dubai in March

IF YOU’RE HUNGRY like the Wolf to see a classic chart act in Dubai next year, Duran Duran are here to meet your needs.

The band will play The Sevens Stadium on Thursday, March 8 in a show organised by DONE Events.

As part of their ‘All You Need is Now’ World Tour, the British electro band will play hits from their 30-year recording career, which has seen them sell more than 100 million records.

Expect to hear favourites including Rio, Girls on Film, Save A Prayer, Ordinary World, The Reflex, View to a Kill and Come Undone.

Concert tickets will go on sale on Sunday, January 8 at 9am. In the meantime, register for more information and pre-sale details at www.durandurandubai.com.

Adam Zacharias

Published: Sat 24 Dec 2011, 11:44 AM

Last updated: Mon 12 Aug 2024, 3:35 PM

Recommended for you