🔗 Share this article

The is a New York drama with such a relaxed pace that it required 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 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 unaffected to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; through his lens Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But in its own low-key way, he pitches his film perfectly for a little squeeze of festive warmth.

A 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, working outdoors in the freezing cold and resting in a not-much-warmer caravan parked next to the trees. A few customers inquire after the girl working with him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken 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 physically and emotionally; he’s weary and disillusioned, though Audley’s subtle performance makes it clear that he hadn't always been like this.

Quiet Encounters and Glimmers of Hope

Frankly, the plot is minimal. Noel comes to the aid of a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has passed out drunk on a bench. She reappears later in truly poignant scenes as Noel drives around New York, delivering trees – and these moments could spark a small glimmer of good cheer in the grinchiest of hearts. Poekel hasn’t made a feature since this, which is a shame – it is unmatched for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on gorgeously textured 16mm film.

A picture of understated appeal and authentic mood, portraying the loneliness and brief connection of the season.

Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.