Besides having perhaps the best use of punctuation in a title this year, Carhles Poekel's Christmas, Again offers much more to the viewer than clever use of punctuation, being a delicate, observed, and nuanced portrait of Noel, a heartbroken Christmas-tree salesman whose day-to-day life is steeped loneliness. Plot isn't a major focus of the film, with Christmas, Again focusing much more on the moments life offers to its main protagonist, somehow by the end capturing the "holiday spirit" and consolations which the Holiday season can provide. Returning to New York City again to sell trees out of his RV, we are introduced to a character who simply hasn't been able to put his past behind him. Still shackled with the grief of having his long term girlfriend leave him, Noel puts on a good face while doing his job, engaging with a eclectic mix of customers, each of which add flavor to the film's restrained approach. The customers aren't written in there simply to add color to the film, but to provide a evocation of a very specific time of year, the December Holiday Season, showing the tenderness and sometimes ugliness, the season can bring out in people. Each customer which Noel encounters feels well-dimensioned, an impressive feat when considering that many of these roles are merely seconds long. Of course the most important relationship that develops in the film is between Noel and a mysterious woman he discovers one night passed out on a park bench, in need of some assistance due to her inebriated condition. There is a romance element to their relationship, but once again Christmas, Again never pushes this agenda at all in its narrative, really evoking a sense of togetherness and letting these two somewhat troubled characters (aren't we all in one way or another), find some semblance of connection again. Bringing a "day in the life" type authenticity to its storytelling, Charles Poeke's Christmas Again has a quiet sadness, a sense of loneliness that encaptures this main character through most of the film, juxtaposing the 'holiday cheer' with Noel's sadness. Perhaps Christmas, Again's greatest attribute is merely its ability to balance the emotional elements of its film, with the joy or happiness of the storytelling feeling understated, never forced to serve the story, opting instead to let the character's relationship evolve organically. Featuring an understated but powerful performance from Kentucker Audley and an impressive script and direction that encapsulates the holidays with no cheap sentiment, Christmas, Again is an impressive first time feature film.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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