Movie Review: The Man Who Invented Christmas

There have been many imaginings of Charles Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol, my favourite is the 1992 Muppets version.

This film takes a different track by zooming in on how Dickens (Dan Stevens) found inspiration for his classic story.

Against the backdrop of 1843 Victorian London where Christmas is but a "minor holiday", Dickens is suffering from writer's block after three flops in a row.

He is in debt and still coming to terms with his traumatic childhood where he was forced to work in a shoe-blacking factory, no thanks to his father (Jonathan Pryce).

When the creative juices finally flow, Dickens is faced with a tight six-week deadline to get his story published.

Much fun occurs when his characters come alive, especially Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer).

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While Stevens' comic timing makes the somewhat cliched film light, it is Plummer who owns every scene.

A visually impressive and heartwarming tale befitting the festive season. 

Rating: 3 Stars