I SAW EBENEZER

Ebenezer is the newest film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's directed by Ti (The XXX Trilogy) West, adapted by Nathaniel Halpern and stars Johnny Depp in the titular role, in what (for whatever crafty cause) is called an "untold story," but leans on traditional turf more than not. (The "untold" segments of Ebenezer Scrooge's soulful sojourns have always existed in the character's Twilight Zone-ish, life-lesson trips through time. Without them, the story wouldn't be the cautionary classic we've come to adore. Ebenezer's setup, despite the marketing ploy, is no exception, but there are several backdrop extensions and fanciful quirks to distinguish this version from others.)  

And sticking with tradition, Ebenezer features a competent cast that conjures significant personas we've come to call friends, whether they're in the flesh or spectral. In addition to the dynamic Depp, we get Rupert Grint's Bob Cratchit, Charlie Murphy's Mrs. Cratchit, Freddie Lee-Grey's Tiny Tim, Ian McKellen's Jacob Marley, Imogen Carter's Fan, Sam Claflin's Fred, Daisy Ridley's Clara (Fred's wife), Ian Midlane's Fezziwig, Ellie Bamber's Belle, Andrea Riseborough's Ghost of Christmas Past, Trammel Tillman's Ghost of Christmas Present, Robert Strange's Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and Alfie Buck and Arthur Conti's young Ebenezer, among other lithesome contributors. 

Semblance-wise, the actors are well suited to achieve the story's charitable goal, even though a few have rubbed me the wrong way over the years with any number of venomous discourses; ah, well, its their performances that count here, not their misinformed declarations. (BTW: With this being a West movie, it's odd that Mia Goth wasn't cast. She'd have been ideal for several, choice roles.) 

This version is also promoted as "Gothic horror," but the categorization is no revelation or novelty when to comes to A Christmas Carol, whether it be the book (subtitled "A Ghost Story") or its many adaptations of stage and screen. With West considered a horror director, the expectation for an opaque, gloomy mystique makes sense, but why pretend the emphasized element is beyond the norm for Dicken's tale?  Did one not perceive what came before?

Despite its alleged, newfangled angles, the movie's execution does, in fact, align more with Richard Donner's Scrooged. It's a wry comedy, and far more so than Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol or The Muppet Christmas Carol (I suppose the Grinch adaptations should be considered, too), which one would presume spew oodles of levity, but they don't. In this respect, West and Halpern's take dances around its potent pockets of menace with knowing winks, but the fable's profound message overrides its amusement (which on occasion taps Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and, to a lesser degree, A Nightmare Before Christmas) before ingraining its profound crusade.

Indeed, the swing might feel forced to casual fans of the source, but by the time the last snowflake falls, Ebenezer succeeds in delivering its full, contemplative charm. It reminds viewers that A Christmas Carol and its redeemed lead are everlasting, always there to request kindness and empathy in times of need, no matter the place,  no matter the time of year. Ⱍ