Noel (2004)

I haven't reviewed anything on IMDb in a while, but I wanted to caution potential viewers about how MOAN-Inducing this movie is! Even my 86-year-old mother, for whom I selected it, and who loves soap operas without reserve, was commenting on how stupid and corny the story line is. PLEASE, please, please, just watch "It's a Wonderful Life", or "Scrooge", if you're looking for family-friendly movies during the Christmas season.You're welcome.

It's Christmas in NYC. Divorced publisher Rose Collins (Susan Sarandon) struggles to survive the loneliness of the holidays. Her mother is in hospice with Alzheimers. She goes on a date with the much younger Marco from the office. Mike (Paul Walker) is a cop who is battling jealousy over his girlfriend Nina (Penélope Cruz). Mike is stalked by kindly and possibly delusional waiter Artie Venzuela (Alan Arkin). Jules (Marcus Thomas) has a plan to hurt himself so that he can attend the Christmas party at the hospital to relive his best Christmas as a kid.Screenwriter David Hubbard doesn't have much to his credit and Chazz Palminteri is not known as a director. They are able to gather some great actors but the various stories don't pull me in. Sarandon is somewhat interesting but I don't find the other stories that compelling. Paul Walker really bugged me. The movie moves very slowly. I feel a lot like Mike impatiently waiting for Artie's explanation. Strange or unlikely things keep happening that throws me for a loop. Loneliness at the holidays is an interesting theme but I'm not thrilled with this movie.

Even though it was a few days after Christmas, I decided to stay in the spirit and watch a Christmas movie. When I saw the cast, I figured it had to be a good movie. As I started to watch the movie, it wasn't quite what I expected. It was a bit maudlin. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue watching. I really hate giving up on a movie so I continued to do so. I was so glad I did. The cast was amazing and I loved how the stories intertwined. It was a little strange watching Paul Walker in a movie, so soon after his passing and found it rather heartbreaking. The stories themselves at times seem agonizing and painful, but somehow they managed to end the movie showing that there is always hope. I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to anyone who loves wonderful acting and interesting story lines. One of the best movies I've seen in a while.

A curious little film that I received from a magazine DVD giveaway (!) and that I watched in December on a quiet night. It has an excellent cast, great cinematography and a sincere script. Things I liked include the banter between the two cop partners; Penelope Cruz's acting; and an intelligent Susan Sarandon in just about every scene. The problem is that it is a little too sweet. There are some very dark themes -- the death of a baby; a jealous husband's violence leading to death; and a young man so distressed he badly injures himself. Yet the audience doesn't witness these horrible things; they're all just described to us. You get the sense that all the loose ends will be tied up, and the film has quite a gentle pace. But it is obviously a movie made with love, and the cast give it their all. And there are some great ideas and some really lovely scenes, such as Sarandon gatecrashing a party and longing to belong to a big family.