🔗 Share this article The Film Christmas, Again Film Review – A Laidback Story of a Forlorn Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Authentic 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 authentic-indie and naturalistic to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; in his view Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But with its subtle approach, he positions the movie perfectly for a modest dose of festive warmth. The Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (it took someone in the film to joke about his name for the connection to be made). Noel is back for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, working outdoors in the freezing cold and resting in a barely warmer caravan parked next to the trees. Several patrons ask about the girl working with him last year. But this year Noel is alone, broken-hearted and on the night shift. There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers posing pointless random questions. A customer requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone in body and spirit; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s understated acting makes it clear that he wasn’t always like this. Understated Encounters and Glimmers of Connection In truth, the plot is minimal. Noel rescues a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has collapsed drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in truly poignant scenes as Noel drives around New York, delivering trees – and these sequences could ignite a little flicker 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 naturalness and ease, and it’s filmed on gorgeously textured 16mm film. A picture of quiet appeal and authentic atmosphere, portraying the solitude and brief warmth of the season. Christmas, Again opens in UK cinemas from 12 December.