Directed by: Tyler Taormina
Written By: Tyler Taormina and Eric Berger
Story Editor/Editor: Kevin Anton
Cinematography: Carson Lund
Cast: Matilda Fleming, Maria Dizzia, Ben Shenkman, Francesca Scorsese, Elsie Fisher, Michael Cera, Gregg Turkington, Tony Savino, Steven Alleva, Grege Morris, Sawyer Spielberg
On Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own.
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this film is the epitome of an ensemble film as there are no real stars. Every character plays their role essentially in each other stories, and there is no real complete story as everything is told more and snippets and scenes, but never quite from beginning to end in a complete way.
As the film is largely plotless, but plays out over a families holiday traditions, and party as they all get together where many individual things happen some smaller some greater but nothing really happens except for this celebration.
it seems like the filmmaker wanted some more evoke, the emotions of the holiday or any holiday gathering with your family where the story is told purely at this celebration where you get updates about their lives away from one another, always wanting to showcase the best and you get a sense of the family history and their relationships with one another, but nothing is ever clearly defined
The drama that happens as well as the comedy is more lived in and isn’t as random as everyone knows each other and because they know each other and their habits nothing is quite shocking to one another.
The film works and its own artistry that might be frustrating to some members of the audience as it takes its time telling the story it wants to, but again the story is never told in a complete way it’s more told segments that seem like they go nowhere endless that more evoke moods as there is an inherent sadness throughout as they adults are realizing they’re getting older and how much they have in the past but also the ones who raise them are slowly deteriorating and they want to take care of them. It might be too much for them to take on
And that would also celebrates the happiness of seeing long lost family members who you grew up with who now other than these types of get together rarely ever see as those family members you never really want to see, but are forced to and have to play nice with
The tons of cuisine and food that you can board yourself on and share with family
As well as issues that certain family members have with one another that everyone seems to know about, but either or not acknowledged or not talked about, but clearly seen and felt
there is a section of the film where it more focuses on the younger characters the teenagers and their wild night out though even though there’s more adventure and the film seems to have a little more energy and spirit to match the characters. It also is more told in segments whereas anytime the film comes close to anything happening, especially any kind of action or excitement it seems like it cuts to something else or another character and then we see the aftermath of the action.
As even the biggest names in the cast, who is also a producer, Michael cera barely has any lines and isn’t in much of the movie nor anal part of it, but is appearance does add a certain prestige into the film
this is a film that might be challenging for some and truly you’re either going to get into its wavelength or not.
Though as an audience member one cannot say they were totally down with everything about the film. I applaud it for its artistic choices and the mood and can identify with the material as the film presents highs and Lows joys and defeats, but isn’t meant to leave the audience depressed, but also isn’t the typical holiday movie where it’s all smiles and happiness for the audience, though the film does end with a lot of smiles for the characters.
Grade: B-
