Kiefer Sutherland leads a great British holiday tradition in this meta-comedy

Well, I have to admit that I didn’t have Kiefer Sutherland And Danny Dyer Kicking each other in the balls and having a pep talk about parenting on my Christmas movie bingo card this year, but here we are. Sutherland is the latest big name to tackle the Christmas movie, and as one of my favorite cult actors of all time, it’s certainly a nice turn. Sutherland stars in City of Garlandsa British TV movie that manages to cross the Atlantic quite well in terms of tone, while offering solid comedy and even unexpected musical explosions that take full advantage of the holiday season.

What is “Tinsel Town” about?

Sutherland plays Brad Mac, an established action movie star with an important but tired franchise under his belt. The problem is that after the seventh installment he doesn’t have any more work lined up, because it turns out he’s kind of an asshole. His manager (actor Catherine Ryan) deceives him by offering him one last option that she has in her books: the theater in England. Brad, excited to continue his career and even expand his repertoire to be taken seriously as an actor, jumps at the opportunity without going into details, sure that he will become a West End star. Before he knows it, he lives in a small, cozy town in the north of England, where he is billed as the star of the local Christmas panto. The film suggests that this is a rather foreign concept to Americans, but pantomime is basically a silly, exaggerated theatrical version of a traditional story, complete with parody songs, drag queens, and a tradition of audience participation, most often performed at Christmas and New Years. This year’s performance is Cinderellaand Brad is to play Buttons, a janitor of sorts who ends up falling in love with the princess.

It is perhaps worth pointing out that although panto is a major monument to British culture, it is not seen in the most prestigious light. Stunts are common, but famous faces turning to panto are generally seen as the downfall of the mighty, a sad spectacle that indicates they can no longer get more illustrious gigs. This dynamic is not reflected too much in City of Garlands; there’s a scene in which the pantomime ladies taunt Brad about his career falling apart, and he rightly finds it quite upsetting, but it avoids exploring perceptions of panto in the entertainment world. Because it is, ultimately, used as vehicle of humility that will not only test Brad’s ego, but also allow him to find a new artistic outlet that he actually enjoys.

“Tinsel Town” has an endearing cast with a self-deprecating storyline

Somewhere among the mix of familiar British faces, including Derek Jacobi, Meera Shawland the aforementioned Dyer, is Rebel Wilson as Jill, the show’s choreographer. It’s understandable that this prospect irritates you a little, but Wilson keeps his rebels to a polite minimum. Wilson ends up playing the role of the straight man to the film’s shenanigans and Brad’s ultimate love interest.. They learn to appreciate each other through dancing, and it’s actually a pretty nice little arrangement, dampened slightly by an overstuffed narrative that keeps diverting toward background characters who don’t really deserve much attention. It also doesn’t seem like we got enough development between Brad and Jill to warrant their romantic conclusion.

City of Garlands has a lot of fun with its intentional casting and context, to the point where it borders on meta. A brilliantly funny opening scene on a movie set finds Sutherland parodying his own work as an action star, primarily in the hit TV series. 24and those who remember his little drunken incident with a Christmas tree years ago will have a good laugh about one particular meltdown at a party. It’s admirable that in a film about how a once sexy star is reduced to a panto sidekick, Sutherland is more than happy to poke fun at her own fame and some of the crazy moments she’s given to pop culture. There are a number of little winks like this sprinkled throughout the film that assure you that the cast and crew get it and don’t shy away from laughing at their own expense, whilst maintaining a very light and charming tone that never feels mean-spirited.

Sutherland is truly the star here and he holds the film in the palm of his hand. Between the self-deprecating humor and the 110% effort he puts into a silly British Christmas movie, he creates a truly friendly and inviting vibe that radiates off the screen. Little tics and physical gestures demonstrate how he paid as much attention to this performance as any other, and he even gets a chance to show off his musical prowess. Sutherland has been a musician for years – a string to his bow that the average audience member may be unaware of – and in one particularly delightful scene, he commandeers the stage to give a rousing rendition of a classic holiday hit, complete with candy cane and backing dancers. It’s a shame that his voice ends up getting lost in a sound mix that leaves something to be desired, but the scene is the icing on the cake of this endearing seasonal adventure, and it’s one I’ll probably look forward to returning to next year.

City of Garlands arrives in theaters and on VOD on November 28.