The Film Christmas, Again Review – A Relaxed Tale of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Genuine Charm
The constitutes a New York drama so laidback that it has taken a decade to arrive on the UK’s cinema screens. First released in the US in 2015, it’s a micro-budget first feature from debut filmmaker Charles Poekel, set almost entirely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style is far too authentic-indie and unaffected to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; in his view Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But with its subtle approach, he pitches his film just right for a little squeeze of festive warmth.
A Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (it took someone in the film to comment on his name for the connection to be made). Noel is back for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, working outdoors in the freezing cold and sleeping in a barely 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 on the night shift.
There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers asking idle and peculiar questions. A customer requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (this is 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone physically and emotionally; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s understated acting clearly indicates that he hadn't always been like this.
Understated Moments and Glimmers of Connection
In truth, the plot is minimal. Noel rescues a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has collapsed drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in some genuinely moving scenes as Noel drives around New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could spark a small glimmer of good cheer in the grinchiest of hearts. Poekel hasn’t made a feature since this, which is a shame – you can’t beat it for naturalness and ease, and it’s filmed on gorgeously textured 16mm film.
A picture of understated appeal and authentic atmosphere, portraying the loneliness and fleeting warmth of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
