"Wes Anderson Christmas"

This was a commercial for H and M, but like some of the more high-concept (and European? Maybe?) store ads for Christmastime, it seems more sweet and less crass than many commercials I've seen. This one was from 2016, but I remember the Paddington Bear one from - I think it was last year?

And I know a lot of people make fun of the level of twee that Anderson incorporates into his work (and sometimes even I roll my eyes), but I also admit there's something alluring about it - the stylishness, the liking anachronistic things even if it's maybe a bit pretentious. (you didn't know me when I was a teenager, I was VERY pretentious. I used to wear a deerstalker hat in the winter, if you have any doubt).

And he does a certain existential loneliness well. It's not even an especially *sad* loneliness; it's more pensive. (Yes, a lot of his characters are depressed, but...on the whole, the films are not really depressing. Though I will say I might like a slightly more obvious redemption story to some of them).

This little commercial does maybe have a bit of a redemption story: yes, the people are going to miss Christmas at whereever they are going, but....they do wind up having a Christmas of sorts after all.

I guess this one gets filed under, "Making the best of a bad situation"

(That said: this reminds me why I travel well in advance of the holiday....)