Movie Notes: Elf

December 24th, 2008

= 5 stars

Starring Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan
Directed by Jon Favreau

Synopsis

Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a human raised at the North Pole, under the impression he’s an elf under the employ of Santa Claus. He travels to New York to reconnect with his father.

The Good

• A lot of the comedy results from the inspired situation: Buddy as a serious fish-out-of-water in the grumpy, hard-edged city of New York. The largest problem Buddy runs into is an inability to understand sarcasm, but he’s also impossibly optimistic and unfamiliar with the cynical workings of modern day society — grown men do not skip work to eat sugar plums and make snow angels. The role and situation suits Ferrel perfectly, who revels in playing the clueless man-child who hasn’t abandoned playfulness of childhood. Classic scenes are his invasion of the workplace at Gimbel’s department store, a blood test at the doctor’s, and insight into the dietary habits of elves.
• A very deft mix of film styles: stop motion animation that recalls past Christmas specials, the surreal huge-person among small-people scenes at the North Pole, grumpy urban folk provide some dark humor, and even some slapstick moments set to retro music, recalling Woody Allen.
• Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) sings; her clear voice melts snow.

The Bad

• After all the inventiveness and originality, the film’s climax falls back on a typical “save the day” situation. I’d have preferred something a bit more intimate involving just Buddy’s family without the public spectacle. That said, things are redeemed by Buddy and Jovie’s final moments at the North Pole.

Conclusion

Elf is the movie that I feel launched Will Ferrell’s career, and also the first time I really took notice of Zooey Deschanel. I can attest that it holds up under multiple viewings, as we return to this flick each time the holidays roll around. It’s a keeper.

IMDB: Elf
Wikipedia: Elf
Rotten Tomatoes: Elf