Elf film review

certificate_PG

ELF

Nothing says Christmas quite like a six foot three elf in yellow tights. In the first holiday film of the season Will Ferrell teams up with director Jon Favreau in the silly and frequently hilarious Elf. Saturday Night Live alum Ferrell's natural sense of stupidity and childlike wonder is perfectly suited to the role of Buddy, a human who thinks he's an elf. Though aimed at youngsters, there's plenty of playful mischief to appeal to the kid in everyone.

The focus is on Ferrell, but he is aided by a wonderful supporting cast who act as the perfect foil for his absurdist antics. Unlike so often these days when sophisticated special effects are relied upon to impress audiences, Elf deliberately keeps things low tech. Rather than apologizing for its hokiness it revels in it. One endearing example is the use of false perspective to accentuate the size difference between Buddy and the other elves. The sight of the gargantuan Buddy perched on the knee of Papa Elf, his adoptive and diminutive father (the deliciously droll Bob Newhart), is hysterical.

Buddy is raised by elves after crawling into Santa's sack as a baby and being inadvertently taken back to the North Pole. All the elves know his origins but don't have the heart to tell him even in the face of such overwhelming evidence as his dismal toy making abilities and the fact he is taller than them. A lot taller. When he is finally told the truth, he heads to Manhattan in search of his biological father (James Caan).

Screenwriter David Barenbaum exploits the many opportunities for humour posed by having a ridiculously attired naïf arriving in New York for the first time. Revolving doors, speeding taxis and used chewing gum are all wickedly mined for gags. His elfish origins also get harnessed for laughs, including an encounter with a toy store Santa who Buddy considers an imposter.

Buddy's manner of dress and penchant for smiling and hugs provide an unwelcome intrusion into the life of his new found dad, a gnarly publisher who barely has time for his wife (Mary Steenburgen) and young son (Daniel Tay). But Buddy's simple good nature wins over all those he encounters including fellow store worker Jovie (Zooey Deschachel).