Christmas, Again Review – This Relaxed Tale of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Has Genuine Charm
This is a New York drama with such a relaxed pace that it required a decade to reach the UK’s cinema screens. First released 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 unaffected to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; through his lens Christmas tree lights blink like police lights. But with its subtle approach, he pitches his film perfectly for a little squeeze of festive warmth.
A Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley stars as 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, working outdoors in the freezing cold and sleeping in a barely warmer caravan parked next to the trees. Several patrons inquire after the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken 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 (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 Encounters and Flickers of Hope
In truth, not much happens. Noel comes to the aid of a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has collapsed drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in some genuinely moving scenes as Noel travels through 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 a shame – you can’t beat it for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on gorgeously textured 16mm film.
The film of understated charm and real mood, capturing the loneliness and fleeting warmth of the season.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
