Christmas, Again Film Review – This Relaxed Story of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Authentic Charm
The constitutes 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 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 authentic-indie 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 modest dose of festive warmth.
The 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 barely warmer caravan stationed beside the trees. A few customers ask about the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken and on the night shift.
There’s a documentary feel to a lot of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. A customer wants the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone physically and emotionally; he’s weary and disillusioned, though Audley’s subtle performance makes it clear that he hadn't always been like this.
Quiet Encounters and Glimmers of Connection
Frankly, 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, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could ignite a little flicker of good cheer even in the most cynical viewer. Poekel has not directed a feature since this, which is a shame – you can’t beat it for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
The film of quiet charm and authentic mood, capturing the loneliness and fleeting warmth of the season.
Christmas, Again opens in UK cinemas from 12 December.
