Gef’s Festive Film Advent Calendar: 8 Dec

8 December

Nativity

If you have children or are a teacher, you may see the title of this one and shudder. Haunted by months of countless rehearsals, costume making, and Mr Crellin jarringly shoving pop hits in to modernise the story of birth of Christ, which has led to your loathing of Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack. But consider this film exposure therapy. Trust me. It will hit home in a wonderful relatable humour way.

Despite the film coming out in 2009, I still consider this to be a modern classic. It involves Martin Freeman doing what he does best: Playing Martin Freeman. This time as a depressed school teacher who gets a new lease of life thanks to a bunch of primary school kids. Not in an illegal way. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, particularly whenever Alan Carr – who plays a scathing school play critic, crushing children’s dreams – is in the scene. Also, the cast of kids are charming and the majority act better than Harry and Hermione in the first few Potter films.