The 12 Films of Christmas: Trading Places (1983)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

Good ol' John Landis is one of the greatest comedy directors of all-time and he has two real classics under his belt, Animal House and Trading Places, the latter of which is a Christmas film, so I'm happy to recommend it.

This short sequence is better than the entire film of Bad Santa.

One of the best comedy films ever made, it tells the story of two men on opposite ends of the social scale, who, thanks to a wager made by two socialites, unwittingly trade places, swapping every aspect of their lives. Dan Aykroyd  is a wealthy elitist and Eddie Murphy a down-and-out tramp.

The real comedy gold in this film lies in Murphy and Aykroyd's chemistry, they're electric and the film really kicks in when they become aware of the wager and team up. But it's all just as funny when they're not the best of friends. There is a particularly brilliant and famous one-liner which involves Aykroyd dropping the N-bomb without realizing Murphy's presence, making for one of the most awkward moments in cinematic history.

If you haven't watched this film yet then you should, it's side-splittingly funny with charm and heart. Murphy and Aykroyd turn in career-best performances here as this was when they were both very much in their primes. The Blues Brothers had established Aykroyd as a force to be reckoned with and 1983 served as the real break-out year for Murphy, with his stand-up video Delirious coming out within months of Trading Places, this is an example of two comic actors at the top of their game doing what they do best, making you laugh.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.