Johnny Depp was once one of the biggest and most popular superstars on the planet. He shaped the 1990s with cult films and masterpieces such as “Edward Scissorhands”, “Ed Wood”, “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” and “Sleepy Hollow” – before he finally ascended to the Olympus of the highest paid actors in 2003 with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series and his babbling, swaying pirate oddball Jack Sparrow was indelibly burned into pop culture. Johnny Depp’s case was made all the more drastic as a result of allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife Amber Heard. For several years, Depp was no longer in the headlines for his film roles, but for the mud fight with Heard, which was widely spread in the media – but in the end it largely turned out in his favor in court after he had previously lost a libel lawsuit in London. Now the 63-year-old is fighting his way back into the Hollywood spotlight.
After he had already taken on one or two leading roles in smaller productions and in Europe (for example in the historical drama “Jeanne du Barry”), he is now back with a larger studio production for the first time since the “Harry Potter” prequel “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” from 2018 – and perhaps it is not by chance that he has chosen one of the most famous cathartic stories of all. In fact, Ti West’s Christmas horror fairy tale ” Ebenezer – A Christmas Story ” is a more than fitting and equally entertaining and moving comeback vehicle for Johnny Depp, even if it by no means reinvents the wheel.
The grumpiness is written all over Ebenezer Scrooge’s (Johnny Depp) face.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Johnny Depp) is a curmudgeon like he is. He despises the beggars in his London neighborhood, he treats his underpaid, loyal assistant Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint) like dirt, and every year he gruffly turns down the invitation to Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred (Sam Claflin). Ultimately, his hatred of the holiday itself makes the Grinch, who is known to hate Christmas with a similar fervor, look old.
But it is precisely this resentment towards the world and his fellow human beings that culminates in one fateful night when he is unexpectedly visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley (Ian McKellen). He is still serving a painful punishment in the afterlife for his cruel behavior during his lifetime – and now has a warning for Scrooge in his luggage: If he doesn’t change, he will suffer a similarly terrible fate. And to back up these words, over the course of the night three ghosts give him shocking insights into Christmas past, present and future…
Not much new, but still good
Charles Dickens’ legendary novella “A Christmas Carol,” first published in 1843, is one of the most adapted stories ever. One would think that filmmakers who are devoting themselves to the material today have a special trick up their sleeves to differentiate themselves from iconic film adaptations such as “Scrooge” from 1951, the modern-comedy Bill Murray variant “The Ghosts I Called” (1988) or “The Muppets Christmas Carol” (1992). But none! After his acclaimed “X” trilogy, horror specialist Ti West presents an extremely classic version of the well-known story in the best sense of the word in order to bring it closer to a new generation. At the same time, the socially critical parable with its naive, yet heartwarming plea for humanity and charity is still absolutely timeless – and perhaps even more relevant than ever for today.
Connoisseurs of the Dickens original or its further adaptations should not expect any real surprises in “ebenezer”. But to bring the world of Victorian London to life, Ti West displays an exuberant attention to detail and a nostalgic sense of style that makes this fact easy to get over. Snow-covered streets, billowing banks of fog, the ominous creaking of old buildings: with plenty of retro vibes and his usual knack for atmospherically arranged images, West easily draws you into his version of the groundbreaking ghost story – and, above all, pulls you through it. He connects locations and even different time levels with such virtuosity and fluidity that at times you almost feel like you are in a planned sequence in which there is no standstill for either the main character or the audience.
The Ghost of Christmas (Tramell Tillman) is a spooky highlight.
When we accompany Ebenezer on his nightmarish odyssey, the eerie and beautiful interludes are also important pillars for the atmosphere, which is thick enough to cut. No, Ti West doesn’t turn Dickens’ book into a hardcore horror trip despite its own cinematic background (in Germany the film is released for ages 12 and up), but it embellishes the horror elements that are already inherent in the original in a wonderfully eerie way. This starts with the design of Ebenezer’s otherworldly visitors. In addition to the classic, effective design of the ghosts of Christmas past and future, the look of the ghost of the present Christmas is a real highlight. Played by “Severance” scene-stealer Tramell Tillman, this tragic figure’s dramatically visualized increasing decay lends a palpable urgency to Scrooge’s journey to redemption. And when other creatures or crows creep out of the ghosts, it becomes clear, despite the family-friendly age rating, that this Christmas film is not for the little ones.
Johnny Depp between Jack Sparrow eccentricity and sincere tragedy
As befits the “Christmas Story”, in the end everything stands or falls with the portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge. And in fact, Johnny Depp, who has since fallen out of favor, proves to be the ideal choice here. Supported by the hunchbacked, doddering appearance and the hook-nosed old age make-up, the three-time Oscar nominee and Ti West initially fully exploit the image of a despicable curmudgeon that was already exaggerated in the original story, although Depp can also rely on his eccentric Jack Sparrow demeanor again to a certain extent. Here, however, it is pleasingly well-dosed and not nearly as excessive.
Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint) puts up with a lot from his bosses (Johnny Depp and Ian McKellen) in order to provide for his family.
Contrary to what the trailers might suggest, “ebenezer” is not a slapstick parade, but rather permeated by an emotionally sincere tragedy. Early on, despite all the meanness, Depp lets the last sparks of humanity in his character shine through through looks and the smallest facial nuances – the deep sadness of a broken man who has to suffer through the fateful wrong decisions of his life again in order to find forgiveness. In the confrontation with his deceased sister, his lost love, his last remaining relative and the family of his employee Cratchit, who are fighting for their existence (ex-“Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint shines here with engaging warmth), the big and tear-inducing feelings emerge more and more. This culminates in an unabashedly sentimental parallel montage in which the Christmas classic “Silent Night, Holy Night” is performed by several key characters, celebrating the holiday romance with wonderfully unabashed kitsch.
In general, “ Ebenezer ” is rarely a film with nuances; subtlety often falls by the wayside. When the title character says out loud several times that he has learned a lesson about this and that and is purified, the moral sometimes becomes a didactic lesson. This is also the basis of the story, but in this case you can’t quite shake the feeling that you’re not just watching Ebenezer Scrooge in his remorse, but at the same time Johnny Depp making a somewhat forced personal meta-statement about forgiveness and rehabilitation. Less would have been more here! But that doesn’t noticeably take away from the poignant core of the story.
Conclusion: Ti West doesn’t add anything significant to Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol”, but with “ebenezer” it delivers an incredibly stylish, pleasantly morbid witching hour. Supported by the immersive production and Johnny Depp, who balances surprisingly sensitively between eccentricity and genuine tragedy, the former audience favorite achieves a touching, tailor-made Hollywood comeback.