Greetings again from the darkness. It's that time of year when we get bombarded with Christmas movies. Some are light-hearted comedies, while others play off the elevated emotions of the holiday season. Most of these seem to be harmless, although some are so lame that we can barely watch. Yet it seems most every year one or two surprise us by packing a punch. Writer-director Tyler Taormina and co-writer re-team after their underappreciated HAM ON RYE (2019) for the most unique Christmas movie we will likely watch this year.
This is certainly no vehicle for movie stars to make an easy buck. In fact, most of the faces won't be familiar, and that works to the film's advantage ... a shrewd casting move. Based in the 1970's, a large family Christmas gathering is happening on Long Island, and the little bits of story are captured through the blips of snippets of conversations we catch. This includes discussions about the family matriarch needing to be moved to an assisted living facility and whether or not the family home should be sold. There are secrets and grudges and familiar jokes, along with teenagers trying to look cool ... in other words, the same things that happen at most family gatherings plus the added stress of Christmas.
Some of the jigsaw pieces are in the form of a player piano, a pet iguana, an electric train, video games, and a dozing grandma. A few of the men escape to the garage for a cold beer, while one uncle plays the piano and sings a Christmas carol. Another uncle is obsessed with cooking his portion of the family feast and explaining each step to anyone who will listen. Of course, the feast is enough to feed three times the number of people in attendance, and yes, one adult gets stuck at the kids' table. There are presents opened and home movies that bring back memories - some good, some tear-inducing. Yet another uncle has his book draft read aloud, providing quite the surprise. Those "cool" teenagers do manage to sneak out, and this along with the goofy cops (Michael Cera, Greg Turkington), seem like bits that don't really fit. The exception is one red-wrapped gift that must be fished out of a dumpster, ultimately providing a touching moment.
Again, most of the cast will not be recognizable, but they handle their characters beautifully. The cast includes Maria Dizzia, Matilda Fleming, Steve Alleva, JoJo Cincinnati, Ben Shenkman, Chris Lazzaro, Tony Savino, Elsie Fisher, as well as a couple of well-known offspring in Sawyer Spielberg and Francesca Scorsese. Cinematographer Carson Lund provides the retro look and feel, with a dose of nostalgia that avoids the customary overdose of sentimentality. The film is more complex than it appears on the surface, and the offbeat flow allows for emotions, love, and chaos - even as Santa rides by on the firetruck. An unconventional soundtrack is filled with 1960's music rather than Christmas tunes, and that works just fine. The best compliment I can offer is that this feels as much like we are at the party as it does we are watching the party. And that's impressive.
Showing in select theaters.
