Boxing Day (2012)

Directed by: Bernard Rose
Country: UK

Review: With “Boxing Day”, Bernard Rose presents us his best work so far, in a career with more than 20 years. The plot, based on the short story from 1895 “Master And Man” by Leo Tolstoy, has been magnificently adapted to the current times, following the workaholic businessman Basil on a car trip to a mountain region in Denver to see possible lucrative properties. With him goes a hired chauffeur, Nick, a simple guy who lives alone after has been dumped by his wife. The initial moments were pleasantly tense, with Nick making a lot of questions and trying to make easy conversation, while Basil was trying to maintain a certain distance by showing an arrogant pose of superiority. After Nick’s insistence, Basil starts to talk more and the disagreement between the two men was more than evident in topics such as capitalism, greed, global warming, and how people should live their lives. After spending some relaxed moments inside a bar, Basil and Nick hit the road again in the middle of the night, to get lost and be stuck in the snow in a remote place without communication. With very low temperatures, their fate seemed dark, but even so, Basil shows his awful selfishness. “Boxing Day” is powerful, timeless, and realistic. The excellent performances, poignant humor, and desperate moments, helped to magnify a moral tale that should be taken as an example in our society full of greediness.