Perhaps it is inevitable that someone whose family Christmasses were so warm and traditional but with a little twist would want to make a Christmas film that is warm, traditional and with a twist.
South east London actor Rafe Spall – who you may recognise from the likes of Prometheus and I Give it a Year – stars in the festive family comedy Get Santa.
His loveable ex-con Steve is called upon to help save Christmas when Santa Claus gets thrown in a south east London prison after crashing his sleigh on a test run on December 23.
The 31-year-old, who was once a schoolboy at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College in New Cross, told Vibe: “I got brought up with beautiful Christmasses and certain things you associate with Christmas, as well as eating and giving presents, is all sitting down to watch telly or a film on Christmas day.
“That’s the thing when you make a Christmas film, it’s not just for one Christmas. Much like a puppy.
“You can revisit it and revisit it and it gets you in the mood for Christmas every year.
“This one is a little bit different in so much as it’s not just fun, it’s got an emotional core even though it is a fun caper.”
He added: “I love Christmas and it’s something I genuinely look forward to but I wouldn’t have done this if it didn’t have an element of originality and was written (by writer and director Christopher Smith) with intelligence and class and had really great people assembled to do it.
“All of those boxes were ticked.
“I feel like it’s warm and funny and sweet and knowing in parts and absolutely free of naffness which can be associated with Christmas in other areas.”
While Rafe’s Christmasses were magical – something he’s keen to recreate now he’s a father of two – they also had a slight twist.
“The traditional Spall Christmas would be Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve,” said the actor, who is the son of Forest Hill’s Oscar nominated Timothy Spall. “Then our Boxing Day meal, as it were, would be on Christmas Day.
“We watch lots of films and there’s usually a huge present opening ceremony which goes on for hours, so it’s lots of fun.”
The emotional kick in Get Santa comes largely through Steve’s attempts to rebuild his relationship with his son Tom, played by newcomer Kit Connor from Purley.
Rafe was full of praise for his young co-star.
He said: “It’s his first big film and he is a really special thing.
“He’s got a natural talent and he is a really charming boy.
“He was very professional and very bright, very mature for his age. He was able to do whatever was thrown at him with aplomb.”
Santa and Steve’s son Tom spend a large part of the beginning of the film persuading Steve that Father Christmas is real. It’s not something that would have been necessary in real life with Rafe.
He said: “The belief in Santa Claus is a magical thing. I think it is important to preserve childhood. I think children grow up too fast these days.
“Innocence is a very difficult thing to preserve and it’s something I’m very keen to do with my own children as they get older.”
He added: “We used to leave a mince pie for Santa and Guinness – he loves Guinness – and a carrot for Rudolph.”
Though he said he’s always been excited by Christmas, having two young children has given the holiday a new focus for Rafe.
He said: “I get pretty excited anyway but it definitely takes on a new complexion when you have children. You rediscover that magic again. Whereas in your late twenties, Christmas can just become a boozathon.
“It’s really beautiful to be able to give my children the Christmasses I was given by my parents.”
Get Santa was shot last winter in Leeds, just after Rafe had returned from New York where he had been in a Harold Pinter play directed by the late great Mike Nichols.
Rafe said: “To come back to doing a Christmas film was definitely a change in gear but that’s what keeps my job interesting and constantly changing.
“They are both as difficult as each other. Just because something is light, in some ways if you’re in the middle of a story that has a levity to it, it is a very difficult thing to do to keep the ball in the air.”
It may be a fluffy Christmas film, but Rafe still got the chance to channel his inner Al Pacino in a scene that gave an unexpected nod to a cinematic great.
He said: “I like all of the stuff with the actors playing elves in the grotto.
“That was all quite fun. I really enjoyed the scene which was a bit of a nod to The Godfather scene where I’m sat in a circle with the elves and they are all saying it’s impossible to get Santa out of prison and I say ‘if you can get me on top of the building, I can get him out’.
“I enjoyed doing that. It’s something you don’t expect to do in a Christmas film.
Get Santa (U) is out December 5.
Watch the trailer below:
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