The Film Christmas, Again Review – A Laidback Story of a Lonely Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Genuine Charm
The is a New York drama with such a relaxed pace that it required a decade to arrive on the UK’s cinema screens. Initially unveiled in the US in 2015, it’s an ultra-low-budget debut from debut filmmaker Charles Poekel, set almost entirely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style is far too genuinely independent and unaffected to become 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.
The Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (it took someone in the film to joke about his name for the connection to be made). Noel returns for his fifth year peddling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, working outdoors 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 works solo, heartbroken and on the night shift.
There’s a documentary feel to many of the scenes, with customers posing idle and peculiar questions. One woman 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 clearly indicates that he wasn’t always like this.
Quiet Encounters and Flickers of Connection
In truth, 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 drives around New York, making tree deliveries – and these moments 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 – it is unmatched for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
A picture of quiet charm and real atmosphere, capturing the loneliness and fleeting connection of the holidays.
Christmas, Again opens in UK cinemas from 12 December.
