The Christmas Tree

Although I'm well aware of the Children's Film Foundation, I don't recalling seeing any of their actual movies (although I suppose I watched some when I was at school, but that was a long time ago and I don't remember). Thankfully the excellent Talking Pictures TV channel here in the UK has acquired the rights to a batch, so I can now play catch up.

The Christmas Tree is, unsurprisingly, a Christmas-themed short film, made in black and white and on a low budget which means lots of shooting outdoors. A trio of kids decide to embark on an epic odyssey to transport a large Christmas tree some 30 miles (by hand) to a children's hospital in London. The viewer follows them as they embark on the journey and get involved in various scrapes along the way.

What struck me about this film is just how wholesome and engaging it is. The Christmas Tree takes place in a bygone era where every adult on the street was friendly and kind and willing to help out, and kids were far from bratty but instead spent their time doing stuff for other people. Most likely this world never existed, but this film was made long enough ago for it to feel like a lost world of nostalgia. Technically, the production is proficient, with crisp photography and plenty of humour to keep things moving. The cast is good and includes a pre-fame Brian Blessed in a minor role, and the kids aren't annoying, which makes a big impact. All over, I loved it.