The Film Christmas, Again Film Review – A Relaxed Tale of a Lonely Christmas Tree Seller Has Genuine Charm
The is a New York drama so laidback that it has taken a decade to arrive on the UK’s cinema screens. Initially unveiled in the US in 2015, it’s a micro-budget first feature from debut filmmaker Charles Poekel, taking place largely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style is far too genuinely independent and naturalistic to become slushy or sentimental about Christmas; in his view Christmas tree lights blink like police lights. But with its subtle approach, he positions the movie just right for a little squeeze of festive warmth.
The Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (someone had in the film to comment on his name before I twigged). Noel is back for his fifth year peddling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and resting in a barely warmer caravan parked next to the trees. A few customers inquire after the girl working with him last year. But this year Noel is alone, broken-hearted and on the night shift.
There’s a documentary feel to a lot of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. One woman wants the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (this is 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone physically and emotionally; he’s weary and disillusioned, though Audley’s understated acting clearly indicates that he hadn't always been like this.
Quiet Encounters and Glimmers of Connection
In truth, not much happens. Noel rescues a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has collapsed drunk on a bench. She reappears later in some genuinely moving scenes as Noel travels through New York, delivering trees – 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 a shame – it is unmatched for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s filmed on gorgeously textured 16mm film.
A picture of quiet appeal and authentic mood, capturing the solitude and fleeting connection of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
