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The constitutes a New York drama so laidback that it has taken a decade to arrive on the UK’s cinema screens. First released in the US in 2015, it’s an ultra-low-budget debut from first-time director Charles Poekel, set almost entirely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style is far too genuinely independent and unaffected to become slushy or sentimental about Christmas; through his lens Christmas tree lights flash like police lights. But in its own low-key way, he positions the movie perfectly for a modest dose of festive warmth.

The Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold

Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (it took someone in the film to joke about his name for the connection to be made). Noel returns for his fifth year peddling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and sleeping in a barely warmer caravan parked next to the trees. Several patrons inquire after the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel is alone, heartbroken and on the night shift.

There’s a documentary feel to many of the scenes, with customers posing pointless random questions. A customer wants the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks frozen to the bone physically and emotionally; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s understated acting clearly indicates that he hadn't always been like this.

Quiet Encounters and Glimmers of Connection

In truth, the plot is minimal. Noel rescues a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has passed out drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in truly poignant scenes as Noel travels through New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could spark a small glimmer of good cheer in the grinchiest of hearts. Poekel has not directed a feature since this, which is regrettable – it is unmatched for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s shot on beautifully grainy 16mm film.

The picture of quiet appeal and real atmosphere, capturing the solitude and fleeting connection of the holidays.

Christmas, Again opens in UK cinemas from 12 December.