Christmas, Again Review – This Laidback Tale of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Has Authentic Charm
The 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 remains decidedly genuinely independent and unaffected to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; through his lens Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But in its own low-key way, he pitches his film just right for a modest dose of festive warmth.
A Jaded Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (someone had in the film to comment on his name before I twigged). Noel returns for his fifth year peddling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and sleeping 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, broken-hearted and on the night shift.
There’s a documentary feel to many of the scenes, with customers asking idle and peculiar questions. A customer requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (this is 2014). Noel looks numb with cold 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 Moments and Glimmers of Connection
Frankly, the plot is minimal. Noel comes to the aid of a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has collapsed drunk on a bench. She reappears later in truly poignant scenes as Noel travels through New York, delivering trees – and these sequences could spark a small glimmer of good cheer even in the most cynical viewer. Poekel has not directed a feature since this, which is a shame – it is unmatched for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
The picture of understated charm and authentic mood, portraying the solitude and fleeting warmth of the season.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
