Fatman

This review may contain spoilers!

 

This was one unique example of storytelling and a black comedy take on the Christmas movie I could never have expected. I would give Fatman a 7.5/10.

Fatman is the story of a nasty child who hires an eccentric hitman to kill Santa Claus after he receives coal for Christmas. A film like this really can just turn me around, the core concept alone is so bizarre and out of left field that I had no notion of what to expect. The film is quite a unique black comedy that takes what we love about the Christmas film and completely warps it; Santa is disillusioned, the kid is the dark antagonist pulling the strings and Santa's Workshop is engaged in a military contract with the US government in the off season in order to pay the bills. The film casts these things that should be joyful and jolly through a very grounded and cynical filter, Santa possesses a number of magical powers but can't manage to make ends meet in a commercialised world. The film pushes this really brilliant take on how Santa would function in a society that doesn't care so much any more. At the same time the black comedy element is pushed to the boundaries by having to juggle elements like this twisted hitman who hates Santa for not bringing his parents back to him after they died when he was a child, or examining Santa's elves and Santa's supernatural abilities. This film knows it is punching way outside the box and it has fun with this, cracking jokes in a subtle way and often letting the humour unfold nicely through developing circumstances or the bizarre cast of characters on hand. The soundtrack and score for the film are simply brilliant; juggling the brutal tone of a revenge action-thriller with the often comedic accompaniment of a light Christmas melody.

 

Walton Goggins, who played Jonathan Miller, is a very warped antagonist with a strange obsession for collecting other individuals' gifts from Santa; Goggins character is a force bent towards inevitable confrontation who carries a hurt around that is felt throughout the feature. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who played Ruth, is the genuine conscience of the film; Jean-Baptiste is a figure of love and care who helps lift Gibson's Chris Kringle out of his disillusionment. Chance Hurstfield, who played Billy Wenan, is the dark mastermind antagonist pulling the strings token to many great black comedies; Hurstfield's cruel and merciless role is the ultimate take of the mean-spirited kid who fails to embrace the values of Christmas. Eric Woolfe, who played Elf 7, is the rational and driven figure at the forefront of Santa's Christmas operation; the matter of fact way with which he conducts business alongside the way in which he throws himself into peril to save his fellow elves makes this a great character to watch.

However, the best performance came from Mel Gibson, who played Chris. This is a take on Santa that feels very grounded and realistic, for a lot of the film you'd imagine he's a man trying to keep his business afloat in rural Alaska. Seeing Gibson bring to life this weary take on Santa, a man who is so distanced by the greed and selfishness in the world around him is a very interesting take. I enjoy this Santa because he wants to be the spirit of Christmas but he hates how much he has to rely on money to keep his operation functioning, as well as the lack of interest in what Christmas should be about any more. Yet as the film goes along we see the quiet spark of kindness come to the forefront, Gibson talks people out of making bad decisions through his role's connection to others since their childhood. We see Santa/Chris steadily become convinced that things can improve and that Christmas can be what it was again. This optimism is temporarily disrupted by Goggins' hitman attacking Santa's workshop wherein we see Santa become a warrior-like figure, fighting to defend his home. By the end of the figure Gibson seems like this strong, imposing figure who both is capable of being the stoic defender of Christmas and the optimistic giver of gifts we all know and love.

Fatman really masterfully blends two styles of family in a very witty way but there is a lot of empty screen time between key scenes. This film is mostly set up for the big final confrontation and so there are a number of points, particularly in the second act, where there are very meaningless arbitary sequences. These moments tend to be repetitive instances where sub-plots or personal struggles are repeated or brought up for the upteenth time, often to drum home their significance. But it starts to feel like there isn't anything left to engage the audience between first meeting the characters and the big final act confrontation. The visual style for this film is quite dull, with very easily framed shots and blocky cinematography. The editing doesn't improve a very slow-paced tone, often dragging scenes out for all they are worth.

Robert Bockstael, who played Captain Jacobs, is quite a generic take on the military leadership figure; Bockstael's role is often used as an outsider lens into how this take of Santa's Workshop works which leaves little room for him to function as a character.