Turkey may be the traditional Christmas feast, but the yule-tide season just wouldn’t be the same without plenty of cheese. A quick glance at the cast and synopsis of Angels Sing gives an immediate impression, and it’s probably a fairly accurate one. As long as you are receptive to a bit of calculated festive heart-warming, this is as unlikely to disappoint as it is to surprise.
Angels Sing tells the story of Michael Walker (Harry Connick Jr) who suffered a Christmas tragedy as a child and has been positively Scrooge-like ever since. His wife (Connie Britton) and son (Chandler Canterbury) are surprisingly indulgent of his lack of festive spirit. But when they meet a mysterious stranger called Nick (Willie Nelson), he grants a wish that will test Michael’s Christmas spirit and (surprise surprise) ultimately remind them all of the true meaning of Christmas.
So far, so predictable. But the credits offer a clue to this festive film’s secret weaponry. As well as Harry Connick Jr and Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Lyle Lovett feature in supporting roles. Connick is surprisingly quiet, musically speaking, but Lovett in particular delivers some lovely renditions of holiday favourites and the music on the whole is a cut above what one would expect to find in another film of this genre.
The fact that Angels Sing is available as a download means it could be the perfect finish to Christmas dinner, sweet but not too cloying and available from the comfort of your living room. It was never going to rival the tried and tested Christmas classics, but if it’s not quite a wonderful life, it’s a perfectly pleasant and enjoyably musical one.