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FESTIVE FILMS Soak up the Christmas spirit with some of these seasonal treats

I f the thought of seeing the second instalment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit fills you with utter dread, then perhaps one of these Christmas classics will be more fitting to your seasonal sensibilities.

This time of year, there’s always more than one outing for the gloriously sentimental It’s a Wonderful Life (various venues and dates, see listings), in which a guardian angel tries to save a man’s life.

In The Bishop’s Wife (various venues and dates, see listings), another angel, in the form of Cary Grant, flurries down from the heavens to save Christmas Day but not before stirring up a romantic rivalry with the bishop. A reliable family favourite is Elf (GFT, Glasgow, Sat 14 Dec), starring Will Ferrell as a regular-sized man raised as an elf,

who clatters through New York in search of his biological family. Raymond Briggs’ charming short films are also an excellent family choice: The Bear, Father Christmas and The Snowman are showing back-to-back at the GFT on Sat 21 Dec.

For dance lovers there’s a screening of Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet Sleeping Beauty (Cameo, Edinburgh, Sun 22 Dec), performed by the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, with new choreography by Yuri Grigorovich. And if yo u’re absolutely desperate for a double dose of Walt Disney’s special sugary fare, get £2 off Mary Poppins with a Saving Mr Banks Cameo ticket stub (Cameo, Edinburgh, Sun 15 Dec). (Evie Dunne / Gail Tolley)

78 THE LIST 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014

HITLIST HITLIST THE BEST FILM RELEASES & EVENTS

Frozen Disney comes up trumps with this musical animation inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. With witty characters and delightful songs it’s an old-fashioned but utterly charming story to take the weans to. See review, page 82. On general release now.

Jack Nicholson season There’s still

time to see some highlights from Nicholson’s career as part of this retrospective, including Milos Forman’s Oscar-winning One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest; dry road trip comedy About Schmidt and Tim Burton’s Batman with Jack on creepy form as the Joker. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, until Thu 30 Jan.

It’s a Wonderful Life It’s not Christmas without a visit to see Frank Capra’s much

loved black and white tale of a depressed businessman who is helped to appreciate the importance of his life through a visit from a guardian angel. See review at list.co.uk Limited release until Tue 24 Dec, see listings.

All is Lost Robert Redford gives one of the best performances of his career in this seafaring adventure of a lone sailor whose boat is struck by a rogue shipping container. See review, page 82. General release from Thu 26 Dec.

12 Years A Slave An impressive

cinematic retelling of the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man who was sold into slavery and subjected to shocking

treatment at the hands of those who owned him. It’s another accomplished film from artist- turned-director Steve McQueen. Read our 5-star review, page 80. General release from Fri 10 Jan.