Messy Christmas (2007) Meine schöne Bescherung

A holiday celebration with the extended family gets stretched to the breaking point in this comedy from Germany. Sara (Martina Gedeck) is happily married to Jan (Heino Ferch), though this wasn't always the case – Sara is Jan's second wife, while Sara has three ex-husbands, Gunnar (Andreas Windhuis), Andi (Roeland Wiesnekker) and Erich (Rainer Sellien), and she and Jan are raising children from each of their previous marriages. Jan is less than thrilled with the prospect of spending the holidays with Sara's mother (Petra Kelling), but things get worse when he learns his wife has planned a surprise for Christmas eve – they'll be joined by Gunnar, Andi and Erich, as well as Erich's new wife Pauline (Meret Becker), Andi's current spouse Rita (Jasmin Tabatabai) and his own ex-wife, Eva (Rosa Enskat). To call the atmosphere uncomfortable is an understatement, and things only get worse when Sara announces she's pregnant, which is quite troubling for Jan since he's been waiting for the right time to tell her he had a vasectomy several months before. Directed by Vanessa Jopp, Meine Schoene Bescherung (aka Messy Christmas) is a remake of the 1999 Swedish hit Tomten ar far till alla barnen (aka In Bed With Santa).

We can't see anything. We are in a closet. Obviously we are not alone. A human arm, a piece of a face, heavy breathing. What - for heavens sake - is this? Cut. The closet from the outside. It's a big old fashioned wardrobe, suitcases and trunks on top of it. The wardrobe is being pushed hardly from the inside, the trunks are shaking. We are hearing a background music medley of cheerful bright jubilating Christmas carols. At the fortissimo point the doors of the closet spring open – and the wardrobe spits out a merry human couple – a man and his wife. Both are landing - still in a hug- on the carpet of a sleeping room.

This could be the beginning of a tasteless low brow plot which would give us a pain in the neck. The opposite is the case. Meine schoene Bescherung is a rejoicing brilliant firework of points, gags and astonishing twists and turns of an amusing story line performed by a powerful ensemble of divergent characters. It's a plea for living in community and companionship – and it's a pleading for the satisfaction we can take advantage of, if we dare to decide for a living with our children.

Heino Ferch and Martina Gedeck at their best.

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