FATMAN
US, 2020, 100 minutes, Colour.
Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean- Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield.
Directed by S John Nelms, Ian Nelms.
Probably best said at the beginning of a review, the plotline and the developments of this comedy/thriller are bonkers. Who would have imagined a plot like this!
First of all, Fatman is Kris Kringle. For Miracle on 34th Street fans, he was happily embodied as Edmond Gwenn, even winning an Oscar for his performance, then by Richard Attenborough. He is a jolly old man, Ho-ho-ho, recognisable as Santa with his beard.
On the contrary, Chris Kringle is played here by a bearded and grizzled Mel Gibson. No dapper Chris Kringle this one. Rather, he lives in Alaska with his wife, Ruth, Mrs Kringle (Marianne Jean-Baptiste?, memorable for film fans for her role in Mike Leigh’s Secrets and Lies). They have a motley crew of elves who work in a factory, preparing the gifts. But, Chris Kringle has fallen on hard financial times and, who would believe it, has signed a contract for the elves to start building planes for the Defence Force, military personnel on what is now the equivalent of a base.
So far, so different.
However, it is even more different! With the touch of the bonkers!
Billy (Chance Hurstfield) is a spoilt brat, dapper in suit and tie, something of an inventor and presuming that he always wins the school invention competition but comes in runner up this time. His father is absent, he lives with a doting grandmother. He writes to Santa but it is extremely disappointed in the lump of coal that he receives.
What else is a young lad to do! Clearly, contact his favourite hitman and put a contract on Santa. It should be said that Walton Goggins does his best to make the hitman a memorable character, absolutely sinister, absolutely ruthless, absolutely committed to his contract, a fund of weapons, going shopping for even more, driving through Canada to Alaska in search of his target.
It should be said that the body count, anybody who gives information to the assassin and knows too much is immediately dispatched. And there are a lot of military casualties.
Which brings us to a kind of High Noon situation in the Alaskan snow, Chris Kringle facing off the assassin, knowing who the assassin is and his unhappy childhood and resentment about the small toy his father organised. Quite some shooting and it looks as though Santa is lost forever. Perish the thought.
And for those of us who are wanting some kind of justice on that boy, Billy, who seems to be a young Blofeld in the making, a satisfying confrontation with Santa.
Clearly not a film for the children’s audience. Is it a film for the adult audience? Well, it is certainly is something for those who want difference in their entertainment. But, in retrospect, it does seem rather bonkers!
1. A different Christmas story? A different Santa Claus story?
2. The intersecting of three different worlds, the world of the affluent young boy and his mansion, the world of the hitman, his home and resources, the world of Chris (Kris) Kringle and Mrs Kringle, the elves, the military plant? The musical score? Christmas songs?
3. The imagination going into the story? The basics? The variations on the theme? More than a touch of the absurd? Yet coming together as violent action compared with Santa and his work?
4. The introduction to Billy, suit and tie, his room, his preoccupations, the medals and his winning competitions? Best in Show? His relationship with his grandmother – and the irony of discovery of his robbing her, his haughty attitudes towards the staff? His writing his letter to Santa, sending it? His receiving the lump of coal? His anger, vindictive? Going to the competition, the young girl winning, his resentment – and her later being found out as cheating, his getting the medal? An obnoxious young criminal in the making?
5. Billy getting in touch with the hitman, his living alone, his personality, violence, language, his resources, weapons? The phone calls and the text messages? His being committed to the case? Getting his resources, his car, travelling, through Canada, to Alaska? His violent attitudes in killing people who gave him information? Coming to the town, the information about Chris? Seeing the vehicle, attempting to shoot? Going out to the military base, infiltrating, shooting?
6. Mel Gibson as Chris Kringle, old and grizzled, committed to his work, working with the elves? His relationship with his wife, her being supportive? The deal with the military, financial difficulties, the elves committed to work on the planes? Seven and his being the deputy? The military personnel, working with Chris, the supervision? The suited agents coming and wanting to renew the financial contract? Chris going to the post office, collecting the cheque?
7. The buildup to the confrontation between the hitman and Chris, the high noon situation, Chris and knowing the hitman and his history, the hitman and his neglectful father, the small Christmas gift, throwing it at Chris? His resentments? Chris and his apology?
8. The shootout, manoeuvres and tactics? Chris injured? The death of the hitman?
9. Chris and Mrs Kringle, Chris recovered, going to confront Billy, his grandmother upset about the finances? Chris instilling fear into Billy, threatening him, the future?
10. And all being well, Chris and his wife returning, the elves and getting to work?
11. Not a film for children? How suitable a film for adults? Audiences who took the themes seriously? Audiences saw the inventiveness as a hoot?
