The Film Christmas, Again Film Review – A Laidback Story 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; 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 stars as Noel (someone had in the film to joke about his name before I twigged). Noel is back for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and resting in a not-much-warmer caravan parked next to the trees. Several patrons ask about the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken and on the night shift.

There’s an observational quality to many of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. One woman 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 understated acting makes it clear that he hadn't always been like this.

Understated Encounters and Glimmers of Connection

Frankly, the plot is minimal. 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, delivering trees – and these moments could ignite a small glimmer of good cheer in the grinchiest of hearts. Poekel hasn’t made a feature since this, which is regrettable – it is unmatched for naturalness and ease, and it’s filmed on beautifully grainy 16mm film.

A film of quiet appeal and authentic mood, capturing the loneliness and fleeting connection of the holidays.

Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.