The Film Christmas, Again Film Review – A Laidback Story of a Lonely Christmas Tree Seller Has Genuine Charm
The is a New York drama so laidback that it has taken a decade to reach the UK’s cinema screens. Initially unveiled in the US in 2015, it’s an ultra-low-budget debut from first-time director Charles Poekel, taking place largely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style remains decidedly genuinely independent and unaffected to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; in his view Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But in its own low-key way, he pitches his film perfectly for a modest dose of festive warmth.
A Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (someone had in the film to comment on his name before I twigged). Noel returns for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and sleeping in a not-much-warmer caravan parked next to the trees. A few customers inquire after the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, broken-hearted and working the night shift.
There’s an observational quality to a lot of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. A customer wants the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks numb with cold physically and emotionally; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s subtle performance makes it clear that he wasn’t always like this.
Understated Moments and Glimmers of Connection
Frankly, the plot is minimal. Noel rescues a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has passed out drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in some genuinely moving scenes as Noel travels through New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could spark a little flicker of good cheer even in the most cynical viewer. Poekel hasn’t made a feature since this, which is regrettable – it is unmatched for naturalness and ease, and it’s filmed on gorgeously textured 16mm film.
A picture of understated appeal and authentic mood, portraying the solitude and fleeting warmth of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
