The Amazing Mr Blunden review: A dark yet redemptive remake
This wonderfully Christmassy and Dickensian story stars Tamsin Greig and Simon Callow.
"Mark Gatiss is influenced by the notion that time isn't linear," star Tamsin Greig explains on the set of The Amazing Mr Blunden, "that things are all happening at the same time, this collision of time and eternity, and Blunden seems to inhabit that.... It's our longing to be free of our temporal existence and rewrite those parts of our history that aren't so laudable."
And having seen the finished film, she's right – Greig sums up the spirit of this dark yet edifying story superbly, which has echoes of Doctor Who and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with a time-travelling protagonist on a mission to assuage his guilt and help the plight of others.
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The film begins with Simon Callow's Mr Blunden also pontificating over the concept of non-linear time. He says that "time is not a straight line, it's more like a vast wheel on which we stand at different points, rarely meeting," – and this quote anticipates the exhilarating, time-travelling treat viewers are about to enjoy. Director/screenwriter Gatiss is in his absolute element here, as a self-described "slavish devotee" of the 1972 original film and the novel The Ghosts by Antonia Barber from which it is adapted – and with this new version he's created a redemptive and affecting ghost story for all the family.
The Amazing Mr Blunden follows the Allens, a modern-day family struggling to make ends meet until they have a seemingly serendipitous encounter with Callow's enigmatic Mr Blunden, who moves the family from their small London flat into a sprawling estate and bestows Mrs Allen with the job of caretaker. It's on these neglected grounds that the two teenage children Jamie and Lucy Allen come across two ghost children from the 1800s, who require the siblings to travel back in time with Mr Blunden to prevent former housekeepers Mr and Mrs Wickens (played by Mark Gatiss and Tamsin Greig respectively) from executing an evil plan that puts them in mortal danger.
Unlike Lionel Jeffries '72 version, this film follows Barber's novel more closely in featuring a contemporary family rather than one from the 1900s, thus making it more current and accessible for younger viewers. Callow is perfectly cast as Mr Blunden, who grew his beard - for the first time since Four Weddings and a Funeral some two decades earlier, according to Gatiss - to attain the appearance of a jolly Father Christmas.
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While Blunden is avuncular, affable and reassuring with his soothing and melodious voice, there's also a melancholy tinge to his character. He's been harbouring guilt over a terrible mistake that he's been waiting 200 years to amend, and he finally has the chance to do it, all adding up to the creation of a truly magical and heartwarming Christmas adventure.
Elsewhere, Greig is nightmarish and unsparing as the murderous Mrs Wickens, and Gatiss' recreation of Mr Wickens feels like an escapee from Royston Vasey; he's a pyromaniac mesmerised by flames that prompts him to mutter admiringly, "pretty, pretty", making us all nostalgic for The League of Gentleman (reruns over the Christmas period, please).
We also look forward to seeing more from newcomers Tsion Habte (Lucy) and Jason Rennie (Jamie), and India Fowler and Spike Fern (aka the ghost children) in the future, particularly Habte, who gives the film a lot of heart and soul.
Ultimately, stories of second chances and love conquering evil are emotive and resonate strongly with viewers – particularly around Christmas when the mood is contemplative – and this is at the core of Gatiss' poignant remake.
"There's a weird delicacy with ghosts and Christmas that goes hand in hand, and something so lovely about it too," Gatiss told us. "I think I was made on this Earth to make things I would like to watch on Bank Holiday Monday or Christmas - and this ticks all the boxes for me."
It might do the same for those watching. In this new Mr Blunden Gatiss isn't taking anything away from the beloved original, he's just introducing it to a new audience – and we're pretty certain they'll enjoy it as much as he has enjoyed making it.
The Amazing Mr Blunden airs on Sky Max at 7pm on Christmas Eve, and will be available on catch-up and streaming service NOW this Christmas. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub for the latest news.
