Joyeux Noël

Review: A 2005 war drama that displays a fictionalized version of the World War I Christmas Truce in 1914. The film is shown through the POVs of the soldiers on the various sides of the fronts, German, Scottish, & French. We get a couple really interesting characters from each and some really good performances from actors mostly unknown to American viewers. Of all the performers in the film the ones Americans may know are Gary Lewis, Diane Kruger, & Daniel Brühl. The film has some very heartwarming moments and sheds light on a really cool historical event. I’d describe it as an ‘anti-war film’ which most movies dubbed war films actually usually are. It has some really good moments that show the good side of humanity during some of the worst times, really capturing the unity that should come from the Christmas spirit. The dynamic and interactions between the three ranking officers especially stand out. I’d definitely recommend you watch this one if you haven’t as it will add some dramatic character to your Christmas watching. Stream it on Netflix or free on Tubi.

High: This is a really well made film. In terms of quality Christmas films, it is honestly probably one of the best. It received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and is a really digestible piece of foreign media for someone wanting to explore international films. It is split language with English, French, & German. I think it is primarily in French, but there’s enough English to keep your average American viewer comfortable.

Low: The only thing that sets this film aside from your run of the mill quality war film is that it has the Christmas premise and dynamics. Granted, it does have that so it is set apart. I guess my low is that World War I happened? What a downer.

Rating: 8/10