NOEL

US, 2004, 103 minutes, Colour.
Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Robin Williams, Alan Arkin, Chaz Palminteri.
Directed by Chaz Palminteri.

Noel is a Christmas story with more than a touch of sentiment. It was directed by actor Chaz Palminteri.

It is a multiple story film with interconnections between the characters. Susan Sarandon is rose who is visiting her mother in hospital. The mother has no recognition of anyone. In the hospital is a man who keeps vigil over a dying priest. This section has the touch of the mystical because the watcher is the priest – and is played by Robin Williams.

Another story involves a young man, Paul Walker, who has difficulties in commitment to his fiancee, Penelope Cruz. The young man is hounded by an old man, Alan Arkin, who claims that Walker is the reincarnation of his wife. Again a mystical touch, because the old man has been responsible for the death of his wife – and the film shows the parallel between the older and the younger man.

American in its sentiment, but warm-hearted while focussing on ordinary but difficult lives.

1.A Christmas film – different? The human stories? Sadness and loneliness, joy, hope?

2.New York City at Christmas time, winter, the opening, the nuns and the carols, the shops, Santa Claus, the decorations? The parties? Hospitals? Audiences identifying with situations and characters?

3.The title, the focus on Christmas? The musical score? The mood music for Christmas?

4.The multiple stories, their interconnections, similarity of themes, loneliness, relationship to parents, absentmindedness, forgetfulness? Jealousies?

5.The touches of magic realism, the miraculous? Charles and Rose, Charles as the patient, alive, speaking to Rose, being a kind of guardian angel, her showing him love and his regaining some faith? Alan Arkin as the old man, the parallel with Mike, Mike repeating the story? His being the reincarnation of the old man’s wife? Forgiveness?

6.Rose’s story: alone, the background of her divorce, her dead daughter (and her telling the story in the club, the recitation and winning the Christmas tree)? Shopping, meeting her school friend, the comparisons of stories? Going to visit her mother in the hospital, trying to get her to eat? Her mother’s non-communication? Talking to the doctor, her embarrassment in talking about herself? At home, lonely, going for a walk, looking in the window, seeing Nina? Going into the house, being invited to dinner, her embarrassment, going out, with Nina, going to the café? In the hospital, seeing Charles and his keeping guard on the patient? Their talk? Her going to the river, seeing Charles? Their talk, going home, the quiet night, her being upset about the way that he spoke about her mother, her mother having to let her go, her having to let her mother go? The visit, seeing Charles in the bed, his being the patient? Seeing her mother eating, communicating with the doctor? Recognising her? Her sadness, letting her mother go? The invitation from the doctor?

7.Charles, watching the patient in the bed, appearing at the river, the revelation that he was a former priest, having lost his faith, inability to pray? Saving Rose? Going home, their discussions, his love for her, his appreciation of the gesture in the hospital? His appreciation that she loved him back to life? Yet his lying in bed in the hospital? Dying?

8.The glimpse of the mother, the vivacious woman in the past, her silence, not eating, the doctor asking about her, Rose’s reply? The doctor talking to her, her momentarily being alive?

9.Mike and Nina, the joke about his being a policeman and picking her up on the street, their relationship, her hoping to be pregnant? Mike, at work, his partner? The decorator? His anger, Nina kissing him? His return, pushing him, the decorator saying he was gay? Nina’s reaction to his jealousy? Nina with her family, the Christmas dinner, seeing Rose, sharing the loneliness, the discussions with Rose? Her love for Mike, talking to him, his demanding to know who noticed her, his jealousy? The pregnancy test? Her coming and offering her pregnancy as a Christmas gift?

10.Mike, the policeman, his partner, prone to anger and jealousy? Alan Arkin talking to him in the store, the favourite cookies, his fears, anger, the gay overtones? In the apartment, his buddy turning up with the girls? The old man, telling his story, that Mike was the reincarnation of his wife? Mike’s anger, putting him on the street? The old man’s collapse, going to hospital, emergency, Mike keeping vigil? The arrival of his son, the information about the old man thinking that people were his wife reincarnated? His partner giving the information, the past history, the old man and his jealousy, the manslaughter? The nurse helping – and the gay overtones and humour? Mike staying, pretending that he was the wife, forgiving the old man? The effect? The danger of the parallel and Mike being protected from doing the same thing?

11.The young man in the hospital, remembering his happiness when he was fourteen and in hospital, wanting the Christmas party, the surliness of the receptionist? His friend, going to the secret rendezvous, the man who could break his hand? Going back to the hospital, his going to the psychiatrist, the not having a party? The possible joy and a future for him?

12.The themes of forgiveness, the stories coming together, reconciliation, hope for new life, a different perspective on human interest in the context of Christmas?