By
Cat
Movie Name/Year: El Camino
Christmas (2017)
Tagline: Bullets, Beer,
Holiday Cheer.
Genre: Comedy
Length: 82 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Production Companies:
Goldenlight Films, Brother, Netflix
Producers: Rich Carter,
Theodore Melfi, Mike Milaccio, Jack L. Murray, Kimberly Quinn, Uri Singer,
David E. Talbert, Lyn Talbert
Director: David E. Talbert
Writers: Theodore Melfi, Christopher Wehner
Actors: Vincent D'Onofrio,
Jessica Alba, Dax Shepard, Tim Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Luke Grimes, Michelle
Mylett, Emilio Rivera
Stunts: Brian Avery, Joe
Bucaro III, Richard Burden, Jeremy Fry,Roberto Garcia, Efka Kvaraciejus, Paul
Lacovara
Blurb from Netflix: Stuck in
a liquor store during an alleged robbery, a group of strangers shares hidden
truths and forms an unexpected bond on Christmas Eve.
Netflix lied to me.
IMDb lied to me.
It’s a conspiracy! OK, maybe not that. To be fair, it was more of an
error-of-omission situation than any sort of falsehood. What am I talking
about? I’ll get to that in a moment.
Today’s digression was inspired by a Netflix Christmas surprise. I say
that because somehow this movie escaped our radar, and therefore missed the
potential to be named among our Top
20 Movies to Look Out for in December 2017.
“It’s the Christmas no one wanted,” the trailer explains. I wanted it,
though, the minute that trailer began to auto-play when I loaded Netflix to
search for a compilation of holiday movies. Why give you all another list when
a Christmas comedy was on the table, right?
Shame, shame Netflix. Shame. I was not prepared.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I really liked this film. That wasn’t the
issue. There aren’t a lot of review-based ratings available to offer viewers
informed decisions to potential audiences either. It was just released to
stream on December 8th, after all. My issue was that this is
absolutely not a straight up comedy. There are some heavy feels involved here,
too. To play devil’s advocate, I see why they went with the single genre but
ugh. The movie is somewhere in the nebulous space between drama that is dark
comedy with a sense of irony, a doofus comedy romp, and a tragedy.
On to the movie!
Talk about a cluster situation of wrong-place and wrong time – or perhaps,
it was kismet. Events either spiraled completely out of control or they were
artistically dropped into place by the hands of fate. Either way you look at
the circumstances within this film; it’s hilarious, face-palm inducing, heart-warming,
and occasionally heart-wrenching at the same time.
I almost don’t know where to start, because I don’t want to give too
much away.
This wasn’t a fly-by-night production. I have to tip my hat to director
David Talbert (First Sunday, Baggage
Claim, Almost Christmas) for finding a way to bring laughter to the darkest
corners of this film. The characters were well nuanced and relatable. So much
was evident between the actual lines, and it made it easier to invest in the
people and their situations.
Luke Grimes (Taken 2, True Blood,
American Sniper) did a good job with his lead role, but it was really Vincent
D'Onofrio (Daredevil, The Magnificent
Seven, Rings) and Tim Allen (Wild
Hogs, Crazy on the Outside, Last Man Standing) that stole the show. I don’t
say that lightly about Allen, either. I’ve mentioned before that he isn’t my
favorite actor, but I find myself regarding him with increasing respect for his
projects that step out of the stereotypes he created for himself with his past
work.
Kurtwood Smith (Hitchcock, Agent
Carter, Amityville: The Awakening) and Dax Shepard (Without a Paddle, When in Rome, Parenthood) can be counted on for a
lot of the laughs in this movie. Their dynamic is what you expect from the
movie after watching the trailer. They’re the setup that allows the surprise
left-hook to the feels.
Michelle Mylett (Antisocial, Lost
Girl, Buckout Road) really impressed me with her portrayal of strong single
mom, Kate Daniels. Her family dynamic is integral to the plot, even though the
primary story revolves around Grimes’ character.
If you’re looking for an interesting holiday-themed movie that’s
amusing but not a one-dimensional laugh-track fest, this just might be the
movie for you. I’d certainly recommend it. It’s got Christmas carols,
friendship, family, and fire-fights. What’s not to love? Just maybe have some tissues nearby. Unlike Netflix, you can't say I didn't warn you.
P.S. I’m almost positive that Vincent D’Onofrio sings the holiday song
that plays during the final credits.
Languages
Speech Available: English, English –Audio Description, French, German,
Italian, Spanish
Subtitles Available: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French,
Spanish
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 62%
Metascore - None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6/10
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
Movie Trailer:
But
I Digress... is a weekly column for trustthedice.com that can't be pinned down
to just one thing. It's our celebration of tangents, random references, and
general fan geekdom that both intertwines with, revolves around, and diverges
from our movie-review core. In homage to the beloved Brit comedians, we want to
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