Unlike the typical Christmas review that I have, I did go off on a bit of a rant in this one, not about the movie, that 10/10, but about the holidays in general. So enjoy reading the last review of 2022! See you next year with a couple of lists and best of compilations.
There is more than a handful of beautiful Christmas stories out there, and in actuality, the best stories are usually the ones that do NOT want to show the magic of Christmas down our throats. I don't mind Hallmark movies, especially the ones that have real magic in them, I mean, life is f*cking hard enough as it is. But most of the time, the best movies I find, just take place around the holidays, they are not necessarily about Christmas, and honestly, this is the one holiday that, around the world, is impossible to ignore. It just is impossible to put aside, let it be because of endless number of Christmas movies that Hollywood shovels into our faces. But more about this in the next paragraphs, let us look at:
Feast of the Seven Fishes (2019)
Christmas Eve is coming, and the Oliverio family is preparing for the feast of the seven fishes, an Italian tradition, that even Italian Americans hold. Our protagonist, Tony Jr. (Skyler Gisondo) is struggling to decide what to do with his future, as he is dealing with an old girlfriend, a possible new partner, his families ideas on his life and his own turmoil over leaving or staying.
I have a tradition of looking up what my favorite actors are up to, and clicking left and right on imdb, I ended up finding this movie, which did not really make it onto the typical Christmas movie lists, but I can tell you that it should definitely be up there. This year, more than others, I just had this blatantly clear realization that there is no escape from Christmas, it is EVERYWHERE. One my favorite movies, Mixed Nuts (1994), has a quote that I think I really only understood this year, as it says that during the holiday season we see our lives through a magnifying glass. And it really doesn't matter if you do not celebrate Christmas, because you know someone who does, you know Last Christmas by heart, every store BLASTS into your face decorations and mistletoe and well Hollywood Christmas movies are never ending. And, holiday here or not, you cannot deny that it is the end of the year: we look back or just wish for the next one to come and this stupid year to be over.
I want to recommend to everyone to watch it, because the way it portrays characters from a small town might look stereotypical, but the pacing, the dialogue, the idea behind it, the struggles of immigration, the prejudice of families towards people they deem "different" is very spot on. The colors of the film perfectly bring to life the 80s. It is simple yet complex, and when researching Italian American communities and their representation, which is literally the topic of my dissertation, I was blown away by this movie, as it fits perfectly into the ones that were made and do portray the It-American experience in the USA in the 80s.
This Christmas season watch something original. Check out this movie instead of a boring Hallmark one, you will not be disappointed!
Happy holidays to all who celebrate it, and wishing you all a simple festive season, especially to those who cannot escape the trickling lights and mistletoe showed into their faces.
