Whitewashing his marriage--THE INVISIBLE WOMAN here's where he got the inspiration for this and that and that a bit of a dick

The timing of "The Man Who Invented Christmas" seems a bit unusual in that back only a few years before, the film "The Invisible Woman" came out and the latter film would seem to contradict much of the nice-guy image they created. So, in "The Invisible Woman", you learn that Charles Dickens had a wife who was perpetually pregnant with his children...only to be dumped by Charles for another woman. In "The Man Who Invented Christmas", you have a man who has some personal demons BUT who was essentially a nice-guy and who was a really swell guy by the end of the movie. Clearly, the latter film used a bit of artistic license!

The story is about the creation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"...and the creative process going on behind the scenes. Some of this is clever but too much of it, to me, seemed like they were tossing in all sorts of references too often. Regardless, by the end of the story, Dickens is beloved and all is good.

If it sounds like I did not love this film, that's true. While the critics seemed to really like it, I felt that the story is pretty much one that Dickens fans would love...while others would like it as well IF they didn't know that the man was extremely flawed. Overall, watchable but also it's a film that tries too hard to make something special happen.

Love Charles Dickens's work, and respect him highly as an author. 'A Christmas Carol' has always been my personal favourite of his, it was my first exposure to him and the one that is the most frequently re-visited. It is similarly the quintessential Christmas story and this is evident by how much it's been adapted and how well served on the most part it is, the Alastair Sim and George C. Scott versions in particular.

'The Man Who Invented Christmas' is a fresh, inventive take on a classic, and not only illuminates one on Charles Dickens himself but allows one to care for him and his troubles and also of the story 'A Christmas Carol'. Some people may object to how it's not entirely accurate, but in all fairness 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' never was trying to be a documentary and it's not exactly a gross distortion, there are enough elements like with Dickens's troubles and early life that are actually true.

For me, the only issue with 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' was that agreed there could have been more of what Christmas was like before 'A Christmas Carol' (which to me has always has had much more of the spirit of Christmas and how it should be celebrated than can, but not all the time, be seen today).

However, 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' is sumptuously and evocatively produced. It's beautifully shot and there is a lot of atmosphere and elegance in the costumes and sets. It's whimsically scored without being intrusive and wittily and sympathetically directed.

Similarly, a very good job is done with the comic and fantasy elements, they are well balanced and very well done individually without jarring. 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' is very funny and also very heart-warming, with lots of charm and to me there was emotion here.

What could have been a potentially dry and plodding biographical drama if not in the right hands felt conceptually very fresh, while treating Dickens and the story with respect. 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' is equally great at capturing 'A Christmas Carol's' spirit, why it is loved and how it is viewed today. It can be understood if somebody said that familiarity with Dickens, his characters of all his other books and the story is in order, at the same time, this serves as a good, interesting introduction.

Dan Stevens does a good job in the title role and Jonathan Pryce is suitably firm. Although all the cast are strong, it is a perfectly cast Christopher Plummer who steals the show.

Overall, very nicely done, liked it a lot. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I was all set to dislike this. The title is so pompous that it's bound to fail. The thing is that there is enough factual biographical material to float the boat. Most of the major events did take place. What makes this work is the incorporation of characters from "A Christmas Carol" who play a role in his creative process. Christoper Plummer is excellent as the incarnation of Ebenezer Scrooge. Obviously, these are in the mind of the great writer and portrayed in a corporeal form in the movie. We see Dickens as a flawed man who overspends and over reacts. It is a fun film to look at as eighteenth century England is front and center. It was also neat to see some interesting angles relating to the book.