Is it truly Christmas without watching Home Alone at least once?
The McCallisters’ impressive Christmas decorations in their mansion alone get me in the Christmas spirit. So, I have no shame in admitting that I was thrilled to learn that the Royal Albert Hall were screening my all-time favourite film (I even watch Home Alone in the summer) in concert with composer John Williams’ classic score performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Now, if I had to review the film, it’s a solid 5 stars. It’s funny, nostalgic, family-friendly, and entertaining. If you haven’t seen the film, you’ve been missing out! Of course, Home Alone is full of slapstick moments and is completely unrealistic, but it is also a gentle reminder of how important family is, especially during the Christmas season.
Growing up, I would watch Home Alone annually with my Mum and Sister and hearing my mum roar with laughter when a hot iron hits robber Marvin (Daniel Stern) in the face always makes me smile. Just like my childhood memories of Home Alone, I am certain it must spark many special memories with so many people, which is why I wasn’t surprised to see the auditorium at The Royal Albert Hall completely packed.
The moment you enter, you see audience members full of excitement as they watch the orchestra start to perform the classic Home Alone theme tune. The auditorium lit up with smartphones as everyone couldn’t resist recording this magical moment.
The film itself proved it was a timeless classic as both young and old laughed when the villains Marv and Harry (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) got beat down by 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin). Hearing the echoes of laughter when the iron hit Marv took me right back to my childhood memory, and I instantly felt my heart warm with joy.
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Ben Palmer) was phenomenal. The live music added a magical touch to the film and made it such a unique and fun experience to see Home Alone. At no point did the orchestra distract me from the film or make it hard to hear the dialogue. Every note they played was beautiful and harmonized with the original film score perfectly. It was genius! I also loved that there was a live choir by Crouch End Festival Chorus. During the church scenes, the choir stood up and performed ‘Oh Holy Night,’ and I almost felt like I was sitting in the same church as Kevin watching them perform; it was truly a special moment.
Home Alone in Concert was amazing! I have been raving about this night to everyone all day, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. It was magical, entertaining, and took the movie to a new level of greatness. It’s a great excuse to dress up and enjoy your favourite Christmas movie.
