Elf

I know there’s no accounting for taste – which partially explains Will Ferrell’s career longevity – but there’s no arguing his ability to fully commit to the character he’s playing, no matter how absurd. Is there anyone else who could bring the same level of positivity and enthusiasm to the role of a human adopted by Santa’s helpers? “Elf” (2003) is entirely dependent on willing suspension of disbelief, and Ferrell is so invested in his Buddy the elf, there are a lot of otherwise cynical people who rank it as one of their favorite Christmas films. And that’s the point of Christmas.

Chef

“Chef” (2014) is a good movie for people like me, who enjoy cooking, awkwardly embrace social media and savor hard-to-categorize, witty little movies. Jon Favreau is the chef, a well-meaning sort-of dickhead going through a midlife crisis (exactly how I imagine Favreau is in real life). It has a lot of people in it: Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, that dude from the Woody Allen movie, John Leguizamo, Robert Downey Jr., etc. I loved the cooking scenes, especially the grilled cheese sandwich. Sofia Vergara haters will totally understand how two of the main characters are her ex-husbands. She’s an acquired taste.