OJT Paul Giamatti plays the lead role in this dark comedy as Dennis, a small time crook which comes out of Canadian prison after four years, just to find his best friend having moved in with his woman and daughter, and above that; they've told the daughter that he has died of some horrible kind if cancer. With no home and no family he is to survive Christmas. To finance he goes together with his best friend go to New York to sell, Christmas trees.Giamatti is great as a criminal. He looks like he is gonna snap every second, and is not very far from doing some criminal stunt. He's one the verge, you could say. Every time his friend gets a phone call...But there's obvious problems too. The music score is awful! Played in live somewhere, and should be acting as a good back ground, but it's annoyingly bad, and tedious, as well as misfired. Sad and tragic, and adds to the despair.It's a good plot, but the film is quite too slow for it's own good. This kind of comedies I've seen so much better from the Coen-brothers, or by Norwegian directors like Hans Petter Moland, Pål Sletaune, Rune Denstad Langlo or Jens Lien. The timing in this is not the same, but still there's some entertainment to find here.It's a rather pitiful Christmas story, and I had to stop watching three times because it was so boring, and annoyingly unhappy. I wouldn't recommend this, if your not a fan of Giamatti.Don't watch this if you're out for a Happy Christmas story, because it's a bleak one, both film and Christmas that is.

luana_rrr I went in to watch this movie expecting it to be a lot more sugary, maybe some poor guys discover the meaning of Christmas and everything is glowing in the end.I was wrong. Sort of.This movie teaches you a few things if you're willing to see them: - Sometimes life just won't cut you a break, no matter how noble your intentions or how much you suffer or work - you may discover you're dedicated to goals that much surpass your personal well-being and give up any rewards if only you can see them fulfilled.The storyline is simple: guy, Dennis (Paul Giamatti), gets out of prison, wife tells him to go away and announces that their daughter now thinks he's dead. Wife also announces that she's about to marry a good friend of his, Rene (Paul Rudd), just as soon as he gets his divorce. With no house, money, or family, Dennis asks Rene to take him to New York on his yearly tree selling trip. Both men are resolute to not commit any felonies anymore – this becoming a comedic point because from the get go, they're not exactly law abiding. Dennis leaves the country although he's released under parole, and hides in the truck among the trees to pass customs. He threatens other sellers as soon as they arrive, steals petty stuff at any chance he gets. When the season ends and they count the good money, they get robbed by a guy who earlier pretended to be blind – at which point by the way he had the funniest line in the movie. At the end they plan a robbery to the wealthy house where a woman they became friends with worked. They're not stealing what you'd expect, and I'll leave it at that.Other commenter criticized the fact that they didn't put the money in the bank. Well, for one they're cons so they don't think that way, and then they're cons and have records, you can't just walk into a bank and then start sending funds to your account from another country.It's the obscure/dark humor, hopeless and sad humor at the same time, combined with the survival situation to achieve relatively small, but unattainable goals, that give the movie its character.Some characters are delicately crafted: the Russian woman they befriend is a simple house maid in some dentist's house. She is poor, and shares the same passion as Dennis' daughter – playing the piano.Rene is added depth when his current wife announces she'll give him a divorce. He's not happy, he's not celebrating – he is devastated he didn't even take her on a honeymoon. Granted he's a hypocrite because he's trying to marry another woman, but still it was a different reaction from what you'd expect.Dennis and Rene remain in a hanging-by-a-thread kind of relationship, and that thread is survival. Dennis, despite what you'd expect from an ex con, cares about his (ex)wife and daughter so much that he's willing to stick it out, and stick up for, with the guy who took them from him in order to give his daughter a gift that he promised in his mind, and in order to not make his wife suffer because of Rene's behavior. ("Why would I lie for him?")While they're making a tree sale to 2 guys, Dennis actually has a breakdown about how Rene stole his wife and the 2 guys are strongly on his side and encourage him to do all that he can to get her back. That's the voice of the viewer, I'd say, because that's what other movies teach you to want. I like to interpret Dennis not following this path of action as the selfless choice of reason: his wife and daughter have been through a lot while he was in prison and managed to rebuild their lives. They seem happy and do not show signs of wanting him back. He realizes his fight to get them back will very likely be unsuccessful, and would add hardship to the wife's already tough time. So he chooses to step back (not without a few … desperation fits) – with the last gesture of getting his kid a piano, by any means. And by this gesture he does not aim to be the hero, to be lauded and acknowledged. He just wants to make his kid happy even without the reward of "good daddy".I'm not surprised that the film has a low score and few reviews. It's not a general public type of film, and it's not an American type of film as it's not rewarding to watch - all things don't get fixed up by the end. Both Pauls are remarkable in their roles, they make believable and deep characters. Sally Hawkins is funny and quirky as the Russian girl. I have nothing to say about Amy Landecker as the wife. This for me is also a good point of the movie: she's a regular woman with a kid and real problems, she's not a trophy.The film has a nice offbeat rhythm that I enjoyed and that fits well with my understanding of how films should be (music too – but that has no place here). I hope there are viewers out there who feel the same.

pj-naturalfinance I wouldn't call this a comedy. But it is touching and a serious account of struggling for Christmas.There is brilliant subtlety in the plot and ending that is easily not noticed.Part of the film's charm is rooting the origins of Christmas in Quebec, where it deserves to be.The movie is neither depressing nor uplifting while staying interesting, and the choice to make it so is interesting.This is definitely worth seeing. Don't expect too much. Though this is arguably Giamatti's best acting since that wine tasting movie.

Clayton Davis Phil Morrison blazed onto the scene with Junebug (2005) and managed to introduce the cinematic world to the blissful abilities with Oscar- nominated actress Amy Adams. With a near eight year stretch, he has finally taken his directorial chair yet again to bring the whimsical and fascinating Almost Christmas with Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd.The film opens up with Dennis (Giamatti), a recently released ex-convict that learns that his now ex-wife has told their daughter that he died in prison. To make matters worse, his partner-in-crime Rene is now dating her with intentions of marriage. With no job, home, or any real place to go, Rene's guilt partners with Dennis' opportunities and the two French Canadians embark on a trip to New York City to sell Christmas trees just before the holidays. During the daily antics and struggle to sell, eat, and sleep out of a wooden trailer, a dentist's wife (Sally Hawkins) presents a possible opportunity for them to learn more than just the meaning of the holidays. Paul Giamatti continues to elevate himself to one of the greatest working actors today. As Dennis, he's utterly believable and encounters a new side of himself as an actor that is both funny and completely genuine. Giamatti's dedication to the craft allows him to continue to do what he normally achieves with all of his off-beat characters that are dreadful on the inside with a kind core that the audience can easily access. As Rene, Paul Rudd continues his attempt at off-beat comedies on the independent circuit and presents himself as a very capable and gifted actor. His performance, which naturally brings many of the film's biggest laughs, is one of the Rudd's most surprising portrayals to date. Rudd shows vulnerability, skill, and a promise of a very endearing and powerful performance somewhere in his future. While the role is not a full-out home-run for the actor, he is more than average and presents some of the film's beautiful highlights. Written by Melissa James Gibson, Almost Christmas is an incredibly original concept with a slight twist on a genre you may feel like you've seen before. The actions and story temperature are unhurried and at times cold, but ultimately is what makes the film succeed. There are some off-beat choices in character behaviors and an unrelated qualm about how someone should act in firm situations, but for a first-time screenwriter, it's a great plateau for her to step off. Gibson has only been credited as a writer on the show, "The Americans." She constructs authentic characterizations and gives them all an identity for the actor's to latch onto. Golden Globe Winner Sally Hawkins is amazingly charming and wondrous in her role. With her delightful and appealing accent partnered with her cutely delivered monologue about "Fortune of Wheel," it's another strong turn from the gifted actress that has yet to take off in the big Hollywood manner as of yet. Hawkins is absolutely hilarious. Phil Morrison's direction and choices aren't as bold or as inventive as his styles in Junebug. The story doesn't lend itself to those traits that made him a quiet sensation in the mid-2000s. He lends himself to a more defined genre of filmmaking that doesn't go for the big moments or audience reactions. It's a undemanding yet solid directorial work. The film's narrative is paced at a leisured speed, which may take some out of the story. It does take a minute to lift off but when it gets going, Almost Christmas has you hooked. It's a fine film event for movie-goers and a possible contender for year-end citations by independent groups. Oscar CHANCES: Lead Actor for Paul Giamatti, Supporting Actress for Sally Hawkins, Original Screenplay for Melissa James GibsonRead More @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com