Christmas, Again

The reviews I've read reminded me of a couple of things. While working at a national retail chain I would read books on my breaks in the break room. I was reading a biography and when I told a fellow worker what I was reading she said, "You read non fiction, isn't it boring". Well, it is not. This film is very much like a documentary but it is not and that seems to me that why it is so brilliant. John Lennon once was asked what he thought of people who wrote bad reviews of Beatles music. As I recall, his answer was something like, "I'm just bloody well sorry they don't get it". Watch it and you be the judge...I really hope you "get it". It is a brilliant film and I'll certainly recommend it to people who grow tired of "cookie cutter" Christmas movies.

I get the documentary-style indie concept. Focus a camera on scenarios that are so real that they border on reality t.v., but with actors playing roles. But if nothing is happening, the sociological slide show gets old quickly.

I love the idea of a day in the life of a Christmas tree salesman facing some kind of personal conflict. But there just wasn't enough happening here, nor much background information on the characters.

Indies seem fond of nicely framed shots of depressed people staring at a view or pondering something. They also seem fond of portraying life as depressing and pointless. It's almost as if that's an official point of view of the indie filmmaker community. Or maybe it's because they are of a certain generation and genuinely feel that way.

Having said that, depression does often go hand in hand with personal conflicts in a film, so I'll allow it.

The two main actors did a nice job of portraying real people with understated sadness and anomie. Unfortunately, like other reviewers have noted, the makers failed to develop potential plot lines to their potential. I kept checking the clock on netflix to see how much more time was left. That's not a good sign.

There is only one song, and that's at the end. So they didn't try to manipulate us with music. I suppose that is partly responsible for the documentary vibe.

Nice try. It has redeeming qualities,and something mildly interesting to say about the frailty of the human condition. But I was bored.

This film definitely wasn't festive but instead a pointed slice of reality. It was a bit boring and very depressing, and definitely low budget. It isn't a bad film, just be prepared for not a lot to happen.

It was really just a snapshot of a guy who is for the most part by himself selling Christmas trees on the streets of New York City for the last few weeks leading up to Christmas morning.

We learn that he was lamenting a very hard breakup of a past serious relationship. He meets a girl, who also seems to have a ton of problems of her own. His life is boring, mundane, and seeming at the moment, painful.

As I pondered the movie, it became clear that the writer and producer wanted us to realize that Christmas is not wonderful and magical for many. It is a time that seems to highlight and magnify how lonely and miserable some people can be. Christmas can really stink for some...if Christmas comes or not, you are still broke, you are still lonely, the sting of that breakup or a struggling marriage is still real, your cancer is still there, your emotional struggles did not leave...

The point is...people are broken regardless if we have a December 25th this year or not.

Where do I begin?! This movie transformed my life. It really did. I'm not one for much dialogue so this movie had an AMAZINGLY impressive amount of silence! Why can't all movies be like this? It's been 5 years since I last watched it but it comes to mind quite frequently and brings me peace when I do yoga.

This deserves to get much more attention than it has gotten. Well worth the watch (and I can't say that of many modern movies)