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As Christmas draws closer, you will be looking forward to certain annual traditions – whether it’s attending a concert, decorating the tree, or settling in to watch your family’s favourite Christmas classics.
If you need inspiration for the latter, here are the IPS team’s festive film recommendations.
For the hopeless romantic
Love Actually
It may come as no surprise that several IPS team members chose Love Actually as their one to watch over the festive period.
Nine intertwined romantic plotlines – from the Prime Minister falling in love with his secretary to an ageing rockstar’s decades-long friendship with his manager – unfold in this Christmas classic.
One story in particular strikes a chord with Isabel Shirt (Head of HR), who simply writes, “Poor Emma Thompson…” Need we say more?
The Holiday
The Holiday combines Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, an English country Christmas, and the comedic wit of Jack Black – what’s not to love?
Minal (Wealth Planner) and Joannie (Paraplanner) both insist you can’t let Christmas go by without watching The Holiday at least once.
For the kids
The Grinch
Although Jim Carrey made this grumpy green character world-famous in 2000, it is the 2018 remake, The Grinch, that Richard Page (Head of Compliance) suggests as the perfect kids’ Christmas film.
Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the Grinch, this comedic animated version is bound to keep small children entertained over the holiday season.
Klaus
Klaus is a Scandinavian twist on the traditional Santa Claus tale. Heartwarming and beautifully animated, Connor (Senior Client Services Manager) says it’s an “easy watch” for a Christmas afternoon.
For the nostalgic
Home Alone (and Home Alone 2)
Chief Investment Officer Chris Brown says that the only correct answer to the question, “What is the best Christmas film?” is Home Alone. He adds, “I will also accept Home Alone 2.”
Minal also feels that Home Alone “gives the nostalgic Christmas feeling”, saying that “we usually have it on in the background while doing other holiday activities”.
Anne (Head of Wealth) adds to the sentiment – “it’s not Christmas without a tarantula and ‘Carol of the Bells’” – and Connor agrees that it’s a “true dose of nostalgia from my childhood”.
The Polar Express
According to Mike Passfield (Partner), The Polar Express is a film he enjoyed with his kids every Christmas when they were younger; even now that they’re in their 20s, they “turn up on Christmas Eve afternoon to watch it, as is tradition”.
For the controversialist
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Sometimes regarded as a Halloween classic rather than a Christmas film, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect blend of the spooky and the festive.
James Harvey-Gajda (Paraplanner) and Chris Brown both added this animated movie to their top Christmas films list.
The Ref
Anne insists that although it’s a “black comedy with choice language”, The Ref is the ideal “Christmas film for cynics”.
A thief takes a bickering couple hostage in their home at Christmas and ends up helping them resolve their differences amid his bid to steal from them. Certainly not one for the young children in your family, but if you enjoy dark humour, The Ref might be right up your street.
Die Hard
We can hear the groans of despair from here… That’s right, Richard has chosen Die Hard as his favourite “Christmas film for action lovers”.
This choice was not without controversy, with Chris arguing that “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie and should not be allowed in”.
If you’ve never seen it, Die Hard is about a Los Angeles police officer, played by Bruce Willis, who hopes to reconcile with his ex-wife on Christmas Eve. At her office Christmas party, the attendees are held hostage by the villainous Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), with Willis stepping in to save the day.
The question remains: if a film is set at Christmastime, does that automatically make it a Christmas film? Richard and Chris continue to battle it out on this very subject…
With warm wishes from the IPS team
We hope you’re ready for a season of rest and relaxation this Christmas. Whether you’re spending the holidays here in the UK or jetting off for some winter sun, we wish you well as the end of the year approaches.
