Christmas, Again Film Review – A Laidback Story of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Genuine Charm
The constitutes 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, set almost entirely 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 perfectly for a modest dose of festive warmth.
A Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (someone had in the film to joke about his name before I twigged). Noel is back for his fifth year peddling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, working outdoors in the freezing cold and sleeping in a not-much-warmer caravan stationed beside the trees. Several patrons ask about the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel works solo, heartbroken and on the night shift.
There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. One woman wants the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks numb with cold in body and spirit; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s subtle performance makes it clear that he hadn't always been like this.
Quiet 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 reappears later in truly poignant scenes as Noel drives around New York, delivering trees – 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 regrettable – you can’t beat it for naturalness and ease, and it’s filmed on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
The film of understated charm and real atmosphere, capturing the solitude and brief warmth of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
