'The Claus Family' Review: Color the dark days with faith, hope and Christmas cookies!
With Christmas season right around the corner, filmmakers are busy creating family movies for the holiday season. This Dutch Christmas special is directed by Matthias Temmermans, with Ruben Vandenborre and Elke de Gezelle as its writers.
'The Claus Family' is the story of young Jules Claus, a classic party pooper of the holiday season. When he comes across a secret that's also been the family's legacy for years now, and with his grandfather being sick, it's up to Jules to save Christmas this year. Will he carry on the family tradition?
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'The Claus Family' is a Flemish movie with a beautiful plot and well-scripted storyline. There are more than just a handful of reasons as to why this Christmas special will be one among your top go-to movies, and not just during the holiday season!
The movie revolves around the life of our protagonist Jules Claus (played by Mo Bakker). He lives with his mother Suzanne (played by Bracha van Doesburgh), and little sister Norah. The kids were still grieving the sudden loss of their father, who met with an accident, when Suzanne decides to move cities to be closer to her father-in-law (played by Jan Decleir) and start afresh, much to her own mother's disapproval.
A little backstory that would help us here is to know that the kids lost their dad during Christmas and ever since Jules has hated the holiday with all his heart, and sees absolutely no reason to celebrate, while his baby sister is the exact opposite, asking her mother for a Christmas tree and decorations the minute they move into the new house.
With so many things changing, Jules probably takes it the worst. Suzanne has to do what's best for her family and works hard at her new job, at a cookie factory. Norah, being the youngest, just wants to celebrate the holidays and have a good time.
The trio reunite with Noel Claus, the kids' grandfather, as he agrees to take care of them while Suzanne is away at work. When Jules accidentally discovers a snow globe that teleports you from one corner of the world to another, he smells something fishy and questions his grandpa, who confirms that he is the real Santa Claus!
Although Jules is living in denial and is still coming to terms with his loss, he lends a helping hand to his grandfather (after he has a bad fall, hurting his shoulder), whose job is to travel and distribute gifts to children all over the world, all before Christmas day.
Jan Decleir's acting is beyond excellent in the role of an elderly man with the spirit of a child still alive in him. A personal favorite for most would be Eva van der Gucht, who plays Gunna, one of Noel Claus's dwarf-sized assistants. She is quite eccentric, adds a perfect touch of humor with her overdramatic shenanigans. A beautiful quote that is repeated throughout the movie when times get tough is, "Coloring the dark days", which Suzanne tries to do at her workplace as well, by bringing her cookies to the factory, that goes on to become a huge success.
The movie is sure to be a favorite for people of all ages, no doubt!
