This Wednesday, Netflix offers to discover “That Christmas”, the first animated film by Richard Curtis.
The romantic comedy specialist addresses his favorite themes: love, friendship, family, but also loneliness.
He also asked Ed Sheeran to compose an original song called “Under the Tree” to accompany the film.
Will he experience the same enthusiasm? Two decades after the global success of the Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually , British filmmaker Richard Curtis will attempt to repeat the feat with a first experience in animated films. Baptized That Christmas (That Christmas), this adaptation of the trilogy of children’s books by the 68-year-old screenwriter and director arrives on Netflix this Wednesday, November 4.
At the origin of several box office successes such as Four weddings and a funeral et Love at first sight in Notting Hill, Richard Curtis said he was surprised by the time-consuming nature of making an animated film. “I was struck by how long it took.”he told AFP during the premiere of this feature film at the London Film Festival in October.
A magical Christmas film, but also committed
But there is a good side. “My theory is that people who work in animation are nicer than people who work on regular films, because they know they’re going to have to get along for five years.”he laughs. “It’s really like a marriage. It’s not a one-night stand, it’s not a sexy vacation in Ibiza! It’s a long trip together. It’s really something that I enjoy.”he adds.
Carried in particular by the voices of Brian Cox (Succession) et Bill Nighy (Love Actually) That Christmas is a family show, mixing a series of intersecting stories about family, friendship, love and loneliness, in a small English coastal town hit by a snowstorm which will disrupt everyone’s plans, including those of Santa Claus. The film is tinged with humor – such as when Jesus is compared to a hipster – while also touching on topics such as abortion and climate change.
I always thought that you shouldn’t be stupid when talking to children.
Richard Curtis
“If love were easy, your father wouldn’t have run off with his 25-year-old dental nurse”says one of the main animated characters, Mrs. Williams, to her son Danny. The goal, for Richard Curtis and his co-writer Peter Souter, is to be “modern, sometimes subversive and satirical, without crossing the main red lines”, explains the director. “I always thought that you shouldn’t be stupid when talking to children”defends Richard Curtis.
The actress Fiona Shaw (seen in the saga Harry Potter) was equally enthusiastic about taking part in this film. “I really like the young audience, they watch with such enthusiasm, such precision and such memory.”she notes. “I hope this audience enjoys Mrs. Trapper as much as I enjoyed playing her.”.
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Simon Otto, who worked on the animation of the films Dragons makes his directorial debut on this project, the innovative nature of which he emphasizes. “In animation, it’s very rare to tell crossover stories. It’s usually about a single hero who goes on a fantastic journey”he comments. “Bringing the charm and timeless character of animation to Richard’s stories, which are grounded in real life and have a universal feel (…) is a very interesting combination”judge Simon Otto.
The icing on the cake: Ed Sheeran wrote and recorded an original song, “Under the Tree”, for this film, the story of which takes place in Suffolk (east coast of England), where the musician and Richard Curtis live. He did it “quickly, and it’s a very beautiful song”greets the British filmmaker. For Simon Otto, the song “really became the heart of the film.”
