Christmas, Again Film Review – This Laidback Story of a Lonely Christmas Tree Seller Has Authentic Charm
This is a New York drama with such a relaxed pace that it has taken a decade to reach the UK’s cinema screens. Initially unveiled 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 modest dose of festive warmth.
A Jaded Seller in the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (someone had in the film to comment on his name for the connection to be made). Noel returns for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and resting in a not-much-warmer caravan parked next to the trees. A few customers ask about the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken and working the night shift.
There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers posing idle and peculiar questions. One woman requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks numb with cold physically and emotionally; he’s weary and disillusioned, 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 comes to the aid of 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 drives around New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could ignite a small glimmer of good cheer even in the most cynical viewer. Poekel hasn’t made a feature since this, which is a shame – you can’t beat it for naturalness and ease, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
A picture of quiet charm and real mood, portraying the solitude and brief warmth of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.