You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. And you better not hire a hitman to take out Santa Claus! Because the FATMAN is coming to town!
We’ve seen Old St. Nick in so many ways over the centuries, especially in film. Happy and jolly like Edmund Gwenn or Sir Richard Attenborough. A skeptic turned jolly convert like Tim Allen. A disgruntled but hopeful Santa that the world will find its Christmas spirit again like Ed Asner. A totally “bad santa” in Billy Bob Thornton. Even a sad skinny Santa who finds he needs Rudolph to guide his sleigh through a mighty winter storm. And now there’s Mel Gibson.
Mel Gibson’s FATMAN is the Santa I’ve always believed was out there; the real deal, the guy who has the potential to be jolly but centuries of greedy and grousing kids (and adults) has just taken its toll on him; so much so that Santa’s packin’ (and we’re not talking just presents) when he takes off in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. But before he even gets to Christmas, Santa’s got to deal with cash flow issues thanks to toy company outsourcing to China and India with sweatshop labor and cheaper manufacturing costs. Companies aren’t buying from Santa’s Workshop any longer. Then there are the non-believers. Kids aren’t even writing “letters to Santa” as much as they did in days gone by. And then there’s the angry lump-of-coal group who hate Santa for the crummy gift they just received. (Careful boys and girls. Hang on to that coal. If the coal industry goes away, it will be a collector’s item and you can sell it on eBay!) Why, it’s enough to make Santa go “Bah, humbug” to it all!
But this year is particularly stressful for Chris Cringle for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is having to make a deal with the Devil aka the US government and military due to no cash flow and no orders for his workshop for the coming year. Didn’t make enough this year to carry him through into next year. (2020 is even hitting Santa hard!) It seems the government has come to Chris before, wanting to use the elves and Chris’ streamlined workshop techniques to manufacture military equipment. Luckily, he has always been able to say “no”, but now his sleigh is against the wall and if there are to be anymore Christmases, he can’t afford to not say “yes”; but it’s “yes” for this “one time only.” And if that’s not upsetting enough, who should show up on the grounds to add just a bit more stress”? How about a hitman who hates Santa himself and who is working for a wealthy bratty rich kid who hates Santa even more after just getting a lump of coal. It’s madness! A hitman after Santa? What has the world come to?!
FATMAN is so much fun; beyond fun. A rich dark comedic gem glittering in the twinkling holiday cinematic light. FATMAN is immediately being added to my complement of Christmas films right up there with Lethal Weapon and Die Hard and Die Hard 2. This is a showdown at the Reindeer Corral! (Note: No reindeer – or elves – were harmed in the making of this movie.)
The story itself is original and fresh. Written and directed by brothers Eshom and Ian Nelms, the themes are relevant and speak to what a mess the world has become. Commercialism, hatred, revenge, greed, bullying, lack of human connection and consideration. But on the flip side is the purity of heart shown through Mrs. Cringle, head elf Seven and the rest of the elves. They not only remind Chris about what’s good in the world and in Christmas, but they remind us. And the idea of trying to militarize Christmas and Santa? Well, let’s just say, it gets its just desserts and they aren’t tasty. A nice little touch is how the Nelms brothers switched the traditional “Kris Kringle” to Chris Cringle as a subtle reminder this is a “fantasy”.
But it all starts with Mel Gibson as Chris Cringle. I have always and will always love Gibson in front of and behind the camera. Now, he gives us a Santa we haven’t seen before. And dare I say that some of Gibson’s own real life past fits the character of Chris well and adds to the believability. He is crotchety and angry and disappointed over the world and no money and no orders; which is where we get the spot-on commentary on the commercialism of the world, doing things on the cheap, sweatshop labor, no appreciation for quality or craftsmanship. But what a wonderful emotional shift when Chris finds his Christmas jolly. The scowl disappears. He is no longer trudging with shoulders down. There’s a spring to his step, arms swing a bit as he walks. Gibson gives us an almost Jekyll-Hyde performance and then ices that with a touch of Martin Riggs action in a memorable North Pole (uh, Northern Alaska) showdown.
Always enjoy seeing Marianne Jean-Baptiste and here is no different. As the calm all-knowing Mrs. Cringle, she is a delight. Nothing ruffles her feathers and she keeps Chris on the steady. Keep your eyes peeled for Mrs. Cringle’s own sort of showdown with a child that needs some straightening out as she strides into the room with a Fonzie kind of attitude and walk. Forget about Chris Cringle. Mrs. Cringle is coming to town and when she does, look out! Jean-Baptiste is delicious. And talking about delicious, how about those Christmas cookies we see Mrs. Cringle baking.
The real magic, however, is seeing the comfort and joy of Gibson and Jean-Baptiste together on screen. There is an effortless ease and comfortableness between them. Words are few and rightly so. We don’t need them. The Nelms brothers have done such a wonderful job with this casting chemistry and with the production values that complete any and all exposition in creating this world, that we just feel the connection of a thousand years between them.
Although with minimal screentime, standout is Chance Hurstfield as Billy Wenan. As the coal laden boy who hires the Hitman to kill Santa, Hurstfield makes Billy a master of egomaniacal bullying. But just when you think you’ve seen it all from him, we get a quivering lip and eyes welled with tears on the turn of a dime. Beyond effective. Watch out for Hurstfield. This is only the tip of the iceberg for what we’ll see from him in the future.
Then there’s Walton Goggins as “The Hitman”. Scene-stealing icy calm, a man of few words, an icy veneer of hitman “perfection” that you’re just waiting to see crack (and crack it does). But as hard and cold and calculating this man is on the outside, just wait until you see Goggins in character playing with the Hitman’s pet hamster. Too cute for words. Then to go Christmas shopping for his hamster and taking him on the road for the Santa hit? And all is done straight and serious. Nothing is done for a laugh. But the result is too hilarious for words.
Looking beyond the sharp script and performances, key to the success of FATMAN is in its craftsmanship and production values, starting with the perfect meld of score by the Mondo Boys that takes elements of an old west high noon shootout and adds a touch of march to battle, some sprinkles of whimsy (notably with Goggins and his hamster), and ice it with traditional Christmas carols. Brilliant! So fun and so defining.
There are three very distinct visual palettes at play here – Billy, the Hitman, and Chris Cringle – all of which are beautifully crafted and lensed by Johnny Derango. Whenever Goggins appears on screen, there is not only a tonal shift with the music but with the visual tone which gets very very cool lighting and sparse in design. Correspondingly, whenever Billy is around, there is always the warm, vibrant, rich colorful notes of an idyllic Christmas – from the warm oak wood walls in the foyer of his house to the tree and all the shimmering presents perfectly wrapped under the tree as garland and lights adorn the staircase banister. And then we have the weathered North Pole and Chris Cringle; a bit faded from wind and snow, but the color palette is more brick toned reds and olives like Chris’ leather jacket and Ruth’s beautiful hand-knitted bedspread as well as the kitchen cabinets and touches of faded red paint in the kitchen. The yellowed map of the world is beyond precious. And each tone fits each character perfectly. Goggins’ hitman has a cold empty heart, Billy is the epitome of commercialism from things to personality, while Chris is carrying the burden of happier times which have now faded from the memories and hearts of people today. The attention to detail in design is meticulous and it all comes together in total synergy. Not to be overlooked is Derango’s beautiful exterior lensing in the snow-covered north where the Cringles live, giving us depth and texture, while countering the exterior with a close-quartered intimacy within the Cringle house itself.
But prepare yourselves for some heart-stopping moments in the third act; perhaps the biggest shock we’ve ever seen in a Christmas film. I was so taken aback that I audibly gasped. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. But then my heart leapt a few minutes later thanks to a very telling and stunning ECU courtesy of cinematographer Derango.
The FATMAN may have his “eye” on us, but I’ve got my eye on him. He’s made his list and checked it twice, now it’s time to make yours and when you do, make sure “Watching FATMAN” is at the top.
Written and Directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms
Cast: Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Chance Hurstfield
by debbie elias, 11/01/2020
In select theatres November 13, 2020. On Demand and Digital November 24th.
