The is a New York drama so laidback that it required 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 remains decidedly genuinely independent and naturalistic to get 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 little squeeze of festive warmth.
A Jaded Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold
Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (it took someone in the film to comment on his name for the connection to be made). 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 parked next to the trees. Several patrons inquire after the girl working with him last year. But this year Noel works solo, broken-hearted and working the night shift.
There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers posing pointless random questions. One woman requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (this is 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone in body and spirit; he’s weary and disillusioned, though Audley’s understated acting clearly indicates that he hadn't always been like this.
Understated Moments 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 reappears later in some genuinely moving scenes as Noel drives around New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could spark 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 authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.
A film of quiet charm and real atmosphere, portraying the loneliness and brief connection of the holidays.
Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.
