15, 101 mins
At Christmas, families frequently reunite after months apart to celebrate the tidings of the season and gleefully get on each’s other nerves over stuffing balls and pigs in blankets.
Sibling rivalry flares during three chaotic days in writer-director James Dearden’s gently paced comedy drama.
Miranda (Gemma Whelan) and her husband Dan (Julian Ovenden) are trying to forge a better life for their children away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
They are renovating the ramshackle country house owned by Miranda’s parents, which has always hosted the family’s Christmas get-togethers.
Honouring this tradition, Miranda and Dan welcome Miranda’s sister Lyla (Joely Richardson), a fading Hollywood star in the dying throes of a bad marriage to her alcoholic agent, Trent (Michael Landes).
The sisters clash, reopening old wounds in the company of other relatives including uncle John (James Fox) and aunt Peggy (Patricia Hodge).
Meanwhile, Miranda and Dan’s son Harry (Jonas Moore) wrestles with drug addiction and the growing emotional distance from his loved ones.
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Is it possible to break the Internet? Perhaps not, but John C Reilly’s latest film escapades see the character he voices get incredibly close to bringing down the world wide web. The actor returns as video game character Ralph in the follow-up to 2012’s WreckIt Ralph, aptly titled Ralph Breaks The Internet.
This time he and his trusty sidekick and fellow game character, Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced again by Sarah Silverman), discover the ‘new world’ of the internet.
The heart of the film’s message is about friendship, and for 53-year-old Reilly, it was an important one to convey.
“I was an advocate behind the scenes for not only the movie to have an emotional core, but an honesty about that, an honesty about friendships about how sometimes you know, it can be difficult working things out with your friend,” he explains.
“And (to) show a constructive way to go through those moments for kids. And also, the other things we’re honest about in the film like dealing with the internet, and the hurtful things people can say, or the things we’re compelled to crave like the approval of strangers.
“Those are all really real things, so our movie is really fun and entertaining and goofy, but also, at the very heart of it, the emotions are really real and we’re honest about that stuff.”
The internet world created by the film’s directors, Phil Johnston and Rich Moore, features references to all of today’s notable tech giants — Instagram, Snapchat and even a ‘trend-making site’ called BuzzzTube.
In a desperate attempt to raise money to purchase a broken part for the gaming arcade machine Sugar Rush (in which Vanellope is a character), Ralph becomes a ‘BuzzzTube star’ with the help of a character called Yesss, who is voiced by Empire star Taraji P Henson.
Johnston says the response from the tech companies featured has been “pretty great”, adding: “We’ve been thrilled with the response. We did not get permission from any of the corporations in the movie and we don’t have to because of copyright law.”
Worrying that Vanellope is too enthralled by the ‘inter- net’ after she befriends the main character Shank (voiced by Gal Gadot) in a gritty racing game called Slaughter Race, Ralph takes drastic action following his BuzzzTube fame.
Asked if there is any concern of a backlash from parents who may think the film is advocating becoming a social influencer, Moore says not.
He explains: “I have no fear that anyone’s ever going to think I want to go down the line of Wreck-It Ralph — I’m going to do what he did because that worked out so well for him.
“I think it’s more using something from real life and putting our character in that situation where he’s able to fix his problem doing that but I would say, ‘Kids, don’t follow Ralph’s example, please don’t.’”
One stand-out encounter for Vanellope during her internet adventures involves a host of Disney’s leading ladies, in the form of notable characters like Snow White, Frozen’s Elsa, The Little Mermaid’s Ariel and others. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say the traditional princesses are turned on their heads.
Reilly describes it as “really cool” and hails Disney for embracing it on screen.
“I think the key to it is that
❝ Stories like this one, that show a way through conflict and a way to feel for people, are good
ant now, it’s so touching... it didn’t hit me until after he passed how influential he’s been in our lives.
“I love the characters he created, they are a lot like Ralph, in that they’re flawed, they’re human, they make mistakes but they have these great powers that they have to manage and I think he changed storytelling in my lifetime, he improved it and how we tell stories and the characters that we love. kind of female empowerment “What a stamp he left on this stuff that’s going on with Vanellope’s world.” character. She’s trying to For Reilly, asked if the value spread her wings a little bit and of friendship is one people need see what’s out there in the world, reminding of in today’s political and really try to find her true climate, he reflects on another self,” he says. of his recent films, biopic Stan
He continues: “And sometimes & Ollie. when that happens with a friend Due for release next year, the of yours, you might be spend- film documents comedy duo ing less time with them, or they Laurel and Hardy’s farewell tour might find interests that are different of the UK and the hardships that than your interests they faced. and that’s one of the reReilly says: “I think it is a difficult ally cool things that we time in the world right now. look at in the film. But it’s not the first difficult time
“And for a company in the world. You know I just did like Disney that a film about Laurel and Hardy. has been a part of In the 1930s, the world was in the whole princess tough shape, the Great Depression, thing, they created a the rise of fascism etc, but lot of these stereotypes they kept telling stories of empathy through their films, to have and connection. them embrace this new look at “I think that’s our way out of princesses, and this new look at the mess we’re in right now. Even women’s comfort and their agency though the world and the media in the world and their voice, in particular are trying to divide that’s all really positive stuff and us or tell us how we are different, I’m excited for girls to discover stories like this one (Ralph), that in the film.” that show a way through conflict
Another talking point for fans and a way to feel for other peohas been a cameo character of ple, are a good thing. That’s what Marvel Comics co-creator Stan we need right now.
Lee, who died aged 95 on November “A lot of these political conversations 12. would be tempered in a
The creator of Spider-Man, good way by a little humanism Iron Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic you know, remembering it’s a human Four and Thor delighted being you’re talking to, not die-hard fans by making cameo a political party, or a race for that appearances in the film versions matter, it’s a just a person.” of the comics.
“He did not see it before he died,” Moore says. “It’s so poign- Ralph Breaks The Internet is in cinemas now