🔗 Share this article Christmas, Again Film Review – This Relaxed Tale of a Lonely Christmas Tree Seller Boasts Authentic Charm This is a New York drama so laidback that it has taken a decade to arrive on the UK’s cinema screens. First released in the US in 2015, it’s an ultra-low-budget debut from debut filmmaker Charles Poekel, set almost entirely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style remains decidedly genuinely independent and unaffected to become slushy or sentimental about Christmas; in his view Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But with its subtle approach, he pitches his film just right for a modest dose of festive warmth. A Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold Kentucker Audley portrays Noel (someone had in the film to joke about his name before I twigged). Noel returns for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, working outdoors in the freezing cold and resting in a not-much-warmer caravan stationed beside the trees. Several patrons inquire after the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel works solo, broken-hearted and on the night shift. There’s a documentary feel to many of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. A customer requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (this is 2014). Noel looks numb with cold in body and spirit; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s subtle performance clearly indicates that he hadn't always been like this. Quiet Encounters and Flickers of Connection In truth, the plot is minimal. 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 drives around New York, delivering trees – and these moments 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. A picture of understated charm and authentic mood, capturing the solitude and fleeting warmth of the season. Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.