''Christmas, Again'' is a 2014

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film written, directed, and produced by Charles Poekel. The film features

Kentucker Audley Andrew Michael Nenninger (born November 13, 1981), known professionally as Kentucker Audley, is an American filmmaker and actor. He appeared on the 2007 ''Filmmaker Magazine'' list of 25 New Faces of Independent Film. He founded the independent ...

in the lead role as a Christmas-tree salesman returning to New York City. The film had its premiere at the 2014

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

in Switzerland and also screened at 2015

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

in the United States.

Plot

Noel, a heartbroken Christmas-tree salesman, returns to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

hoping to put his past behind him. Living in a trailer and working the night shift, he begins to spiral downwards until the saving of a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction.

Cast

Production

Writer-director Charles Poekel was himself a Christmas tree salesman and used his earnings to finance the film. The film was shot in

16 mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

Critical reception

Based on 20 critics' reviews, ''Christmas, Again'' has a 100% approval rating on review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

. Sheila O'Malley of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 and 1/2 stars out of 4 and said "the most striking thing about it is its evocation of an extremely specific mood. Once we settle into it, and it happens early, everything else becomes possible." Alonso Duralde of ''

TheWrap ''TheWrap'' is an American online news organization that covers the business of entertainment and media. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009 and is based in Los Angeles. The site features original reporting, analysis, and editor ...

'' noted, "Delicate and restrained, the film offers the messages of redemption and renewal we so often crave from a Christmas movie without wrapping its themes and characters in tinsel."

Accolades

The film has been nominated for several independent film awards including the John Cassavetes Award at the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards.

References

External links

* * *{{Metacritic film 2014 films 2014 drama films 2014 romantic drama films American independent films 2014 independent films 2014 directorial debut films Films set in New York City Films shot in 16 mm film American Christmas drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s Christmas drama films 2010s American films English-language independent films