Prime Time: Call Me Claus (2001)

In an oft-used trope of the Christmas movie, Call Me Claus revolves around a central idea of someone hiring a Santa Claus “actor” who claims to be the real Santa Claus. There’s no ambiguity here. We know it is the real Santa Claus. We just need to see how long it takes to convince the central character, played here by Whoopi Goldberg.

Goldberg is Lucy Cullins, a powerful producer for a home shopping channel that is gearing up for that busy holiday shopping season. Desperate to find a Santa host, she ends up inadvertently hiring, yes, Santa (Nigel Hawthorne). This isn’t entirely coincidental. Santa is due to retire, and he knows that Lucy is due to inherit his role (he put his hat on her when she was a child visitor and he started to glow, which is THE SIGN). Lucy might not believe him though, her Christmas spirit seems to have been usurped by her hunger for continued career success. Oh well, it isn’t as if there are dire consequences expected if Santa doesn’t sort out his replacement in time. Oh wait . . . there are.

Director Peter Werner has an extensive selection of TV work throughout the past few decades, and his handling of this material shows what a steady and confident presence he is at the helm. This is what you expect it to be, a star vehicle that manages to play to a family audience, and everyone tries their best to make it something fun and light, while allowing Goldberg to feel like the right fit in the lead role.

She absolutely does. Yes, it’s fun to see her in movies where she can be more outrageous, whether that is in her physical performance or her choice of swear words, but this role allows her to play up the cynicism she does so well, as well as making good use of her in a Santa hat (because, quite frankly, seeing a black woman as a potential Santa still feels like a uniquely positive bit of seasonal representation over two decades after this was made). Hawthorne makes for a surprisingly good Santa, and I say surprisingly because of being familiar with his usual body type in his other roles. His manner is as kind and earnest as required, and he looks convincingly stressed and tired during the scenes that remind viewers of his urgent quest. Victor Garber, Alexandra Wentworth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell are all good fun, playing other people at the network in various positions of power, and Taylor Negron as an elf is an inspired bit of casting, because he seems both too tall and too grumpy for the role. You will also spot Frankie Faison, Bruce Vilanch, and Allyce Beasley in the cast. You may not recognise those names, but you will recognise the faces.

It may not be surprising that the writers involved with this don’t have the most extensive filmographies, and I say that in terms of the unique feeling of the film, not in terms of the quality. More interesting, however, is the fact that these people don’t have the “time served” in Christmas (TV) movies you usually see, although this is reflected in the way that the movie avoids slavishly copying every other seasonal TV movie. 

Although you may prefer many of her other movie roles, this film is a lovely mix of Whoopi Goldberg and festive trimmings. It has more proper laughs than you get in most films in this vein, but it also remembers to deliver the comforting glow and occasional “ho ho ho” that make it a sweet Christmas treat.

7/10

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The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Sometimes reviews are here to help encourage others to seek out films that are relatively unknown. Sometimes I'm pretty much preaching to the converted. This review of The Last Boy Scout falls into the latter camp. 

Bruce Willis is Joe Hallenbeck, a detective who is nothing more than a crumpled heap of neo-noir tropes. He gets dragged into a case that involves a stripper named Cory (Halle Berry) and her boyfriend, ex-quarterback Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans). People start dying as they start to untangle a plot that involves gambling, corruption, and a ruthless businessman named Sheldon Marcone (Noble Willingham).

Starting with a hell of a set-piece that shows a football player tearing through a field of opponents and pulling a gun as he continues to run towards some points he desperately needs to placate some dangerous blackmailers, The Last Boy Scout is a small-scale film that works as well as it does thanks to the mix of characters and the impact of the many moments that have Hallenbeck cornered by deadly thugs.

Director Tony Scott brings his usual flair for this kind of material, without his usual love of excessively hyperactive editing (oh, you can tell it is HIS film, but it's much less headache-inducing than some of his later movie), and Shane Black is on form with his use of tropes and witty one-liners, making Hallenbeck one of his most memorable characters in a filmography that is just crammed with memorable characters.

Willis and Wayans are a good central pairing, with the former being older and cynical while the latter is a flawed wannabe-hero who perhaps isn't as familiar with how bad people can truly be. That's not to say that the character played by Willis isn't flawed, but his flaws are shown as part of the whole package that helps to make him so good at his job (or, at least, a stereotype who nobody expects to be able to achieve great things until he starts to defy the odds). Willingham is a charismatic villain, as is Taylor Negron (playing one of his right hand men), and Danielle Harris steals a couple of scenes, playing Hallenbeck's moody, but also smart and brave, daughter. Berry doesn't do too bad in her role, Chelsea Field is Hallenbeck's suffering wife, and there are one or two scenes for the great Bruce McGill.

You can predict a lot of the main plot beats here, and Black has never been bothered about being predictable, his focus is always on the dialogue and pacing, but this is yet another film that gives you joy through the actual journey, rather than the main destination. Which isn't to say that the finale is a disappointment. It brings everything together beautifully, and keeps the stakes high for all involved.

Willis gives one of his best, grizzled, turns (this performance sits just below the better Die Hard movies and Twelve Monkeys, in my opinion, if only for the pure fun of it), Wayans is on good form, there's a great score from Michael Kamen, and Scott and Black make a great team. It's a shame that this was their only film together. It's a high point for both of them.

8/10

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