MY ANGEL/ CHRISTMAS ANGEL

UK, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Joseph Phillips, Celia Imrie, Janet Dibley, Mel Smith, Angus Harrison.
Directed by Stephen Cookson.

My Angel/ Christmas Angel is a British Christmas story – in many ways very different from the very many American films made for television and Christmas celebrations, but with religious dimensions, albeit a touch of agnostic British society rather than American Christian churches, and plenty of sentiment.

It is something of a surprise to find Timothy Spall and Brenda Blethyn along with Celia Imrie and Mel Smith in the film. Timothy Spall plays a very sympathetic teacher who has lost his wife and suffered the death of one of his sons while the other ran away from home – and his daughter, deaf, employed at the school teaching French. Brenda Blethyn is the headmistress, a lonely middle-aged woman, flirting with the bereaved Mr Lambert, and rather extraneous to the rest of the film, drinking on Boxing Day with a wig mand mask, hoping to get some recognition in the media.

The film belongs to Joseph Phillips as Eddie, a 15-year-old, rather dreamy in his life who witnesses his mother being knocked down by a car and taken to hospital, in coma. He has a dream about an angel who asks him to find halo – which sets him on a rather emotional, even sentimental quest, asking for help about angels, with some British reserve and not knowing about angels, but Googling and eventually finding the statue of The Angel of the North in Newcastle and finding his true self.

A lot of sentiment, some awkwardness in the storytelling – and one wonders how a British audience would respond, emotionally and religiously, to this kind Christmas story.

1. A British Christmas story?

2. The London settings, the initial landmarks during the credits, West London, Slough, homes, streets, school, the hospital? The visit to the north, Newcastle, The Angel of the North?

3. The musical score, the songs, the lyrics relating to the plot and to Eddie’s quest?

4. The strong cast – for such a slight film and Christmas entertainment?

5. Eddie and his family, the absent father, Stewart as the old brother, Eddie at 15, his love his mother, at home, her concern, his being dreamy, going out, in the London streets, his mother impatient, going to charity work, her being knocked down by the car? Eddie’s response, her lying in the street?

6. The mother, in hospital, in coma? The visits? Stewart and his delayed visit, love his mother? Eddie and his vigils? The girl from school and her visit?

7. Eddie, his dream, the angel, talking to him, the quest, before Christmas Day? The halo? The angel? His anxiety, his search?

8. At school, Mr Lambert, in his office, the music, his dancing, the principal coming in, the pen, her dancing with him? Flirtatious? Mr Lambert, his dead wife, his absent son and his sadness? His deaf daughter, her being at the school, his relationship with her, her wanting to go to the carols, his staying behind?

9. Eddie, going to see Mr Lambert for help, the other teachers, not knowing much about angels? Scepticism? Mr Lambert, listening to him, no vacancies for extra studies? Mr Lambert being touched, remembering his wife, talking to the headmistress, the decision to help? The discussions with Eddie? Internet search? The files, looking over them?

10. The headmistress, lonely, and her drinking, at home, Christmas, the phone call, her giving information, wanting to be in the news, supplying a photo, praising Eddie, the clue about the angel?

11. The kindly librarian, listening to Eddie, not being able to help, but making suggestions?

12. The other boys, the bikes, taking Eddie’s bike, his looking out the headmaster’s window and chasing them?

13. Stewart, absent from home, the bond between the two boys, trying to survive, cooking, the money from his mother’s purse? His concern about Eddie, going to uncle Richard, his detection background, the search for Eddie, the contacts with the Newcastle police?

14. Eddie, the information about people seeing angels, the timetable, travelling to the north, the kindly people in the carriage, in Newcastle, taking the bike, the private property, going to see the Angel of the North, the silhouette in the light? The realisation from the angel that the halo was within and one had to discover that?

15. Mr Lambert, kindly, inviting Eddie and his brother to Christmas, his daughter and her support of this?

16. Eddie, found, going to see his mother, Christmas Day, finding his halo, her recovery?

17. Boxing Day, the headmistress with her mask, the phone call, her drinking?

18. A year later, the Lamberts, Eddie and his family – and the toast?

19. The Christmas story – with sentiment? Audience response to the theme of angels, their existence, guarding, halos, within?