Even those of us who don't pick up the TV remote all year long will surely settle down to watch one of those timeless movies at Christmas. Eating Christmas cookies while the screen glows is one of the few traditions that everyone follows.
Whether you're into the fairy-tale Perinbaba or the romantic Love in Heaven, it never hurts to mix things up a bit. Here at Alain Delon Journal, we've taken on the incredible burden of hours spent watching TV to pick out five great Christmas movies that you might not have thought of.
The Thin Man (1934)
The 1930s in New York and William Powell as Nick Charles are a great choice for a Christmas idleness. A former detective enjoying life with his new wife is drawn into the vortex of the search for a missing businessman. A classic detective comedy, set at a party where everyone is a suspect, will entertain you like little else after Christmas Eve dinner. Add to that the legendary costumes of the 1930s and you are guaranteed to feel like throwing yourself into a gala and pouring yourself a glass of champagne.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's a shame that you can hardly see the movie Life is Beautiful on TV during Christmas. Young George Baily falls into a deep depression on Christmas, from which he is curiously rescued by a second-rate angel, Clarence Odbody. He shows him what the lives of his loved ones would be like if he had never been born. This film is one of the few traditional Christmas stories, ranked by the American Film Institute among the hundred best films of all time, and after the first viewing, it is guaranteed to be on your list of films that you must see every Christmas.
The Apartment (1960)
This sweet romantic comedy, winner of five Oscars, including Best Feature Film, is another unconventional Christmas classic. Office worker Bud Baxter lends his apartment to his superiors for romantic encounters with the fairer sex, hoping for a promotion. But when he discovers during a company Christmas party that the girl he is hopelessly in love with is also staying at the apartment with his boss, he decides to end it all, regardless of the consequences.
Comfort and Joy, or Ice Cream Please! (1984)
British Christmas comedies never disappoint. If you're looking for another one to add to your arsenal, don't miss the story of Alan Bird. He's living happily in a quiet part of town until his beautiful girlfriend dumps him for Christmas. Alan begins stalking an ice cream vendor named Charlotte, who leads him to a crime-ridden part of town, where the decent Alan finds himself in precarious situations.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
If you thought spending Christmas with a politician-bashing uncle and a mom who constantly wipes glass rings off the table was hell, watch the true story of a young con man named Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is hunted by the FBI, led by Tom Hanks. Perhaps the saddest Christmas scene in cinema history shows Frank, on the run from the law, visiting his family for Christmas dinner, only to be taken away in handcuffs for twelve years in solitary confinement. Having to wipe under a glass suddenly doesn't seem so bad, does it?
