No. 69 The Night Before (2015) 63 of 100

 

I watched this Christmas film in August so I may not have been totally in the Christmas spirit at the time of viewing. It was OK, with a couple of laughs but I think Seth Rogan’s stoner persona is getting a bit old.

The film opens with a book opening and a lot of rhyming couplets giving is the backstory of the three main characters. For a horrible moment I thought the whole film was going to be in rhyme but thankfully that was reserved for the preamble only.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s parents are killed in a car accident and following their burial on Christmas eve his friends Seth Rogan and Anthony Mackie take him out. This becomes a tradition (the going out, not the burying the parents) and we get a trip through the ages as the lads have good festive fun in Christmas jumpers. One year they hear of ‘The Nutcracker Ball’ an exclusive and secretive party. They want to go but as the years pass they never get close to the fabled event.

We then hit the present day with Mackie a late blooming successful athlete, Rogan about to become a dad and Gordon-Levitt at a low ebb following a romantic breakdown. The lads decide that this year will be the last for their tradition, but things look up when Gordon-Levitt steals three tickets for the Nutcracker.

They have some time to kill before the event but Rogan’s wife sends them off with a big box of drugs. Mackie has a sponsored Red Bull limo but still feels inferior to his peers and agrees to get them some weed for their party. They get the weed from Michael Shannon’s Mr Green who turns in a decent performance as the religious dope dealer.

The three get into various scrapes, mostly whilst stoned, but eventually make it to the big party about an hour into the film. The party doesn’t look too great but it does have Miley Cyrus who does a brilliant ‘Wrecking Ball’ in the film’s best sequence. It’s later revealed that Mr Green is in fact the party organiser and he may have more secrets than that to reveal.

As the night comes to an end the three friends learn things about themselves and decisions are made. Will it all work out well for the ‘1 Year later’ sequence and for Santa’s closing narration?

This was a decent effort and I think I’d have liked it more had I been on what most of the cast were. I always find stoners a bit tiresome and it did often look like the cast were having more fun than the viewer. There were some fun cameos such as James Franco’s dick pic sender and Mindy Kaling from ‘The Office’.

There were a few gross out moments and some religious outrages such as Rogan throwing up at midnight mass whilst wearing a Star of David jumper and then crucifying the star player ‘The Messiah’ at the party. I wasn’t offended though but would have preferred a few laughs instead of these ‘controversial’ moments.

Shannon was good value and looked a lot older than the 41 years he was at the time of filming. He made a convincing stoner and I liked his comment about his ‘quiet intensity’. His big reveal was good fun and it was earned, given he was calling out blasphemy at the start of the film.

Overall this was a sweet festive confection, but maybe not the orange cream – more like that fudge one that always left to last.

When is Shannon-On? - 19.10

Outcome?  Listening to Santa having gained his wings

Film 3/5

Shannon Stars 3/5