Christmas in the Clouds

We thoroughly enjoyed this movie . It was quaint, funny and had a real First Nations feel about it which made it unique. A comedy of miscommunication and quirky characters all making for a fun movie

Hearing ahead of time that a movie is "sweet" doesn't leave me with much of an appetite for viewing. But, Christmas in the Clouds beat out those expectations. I told a friend the other day: "A wonderfully told story of mistaken identity, American Indian culture and how life seems to find a way to work itself out. Sometimes predictable and a little cute, it still is full of warmth, charm ... and well worth seeing."

Some very surprising performances from a leading cast of unknowns (mostly) and a supporting cast of seasoned professionals. Enjoy!

I liked but am not enthusiastic about this movie. How to describe it? Something of a Comedy of Manners, in the spirit of one of the old Cary Grant movies. Or something like that delightful movie with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye with Rosemary Clooney and Vera Allen, in the exquisite "White Christmas," set in a snowy Christmas lodge setting. In this movie, though, we have a snowy Christmas lodge setting with a distinctively Native American flavor and contemporary mores.

The Native American setting was to me interesting and (as far as I know) authentic.

I say "as far as I know" because, on the one hand, I have some Native American background myself, and live in Oklahoma, and have regular contact with folks who live within contemporary Native American culture ... yes, including bingo and tribal chief electioneering and tribal commercial enterprise and also genuine if fragile roots in Native American culture of the past ... language, song, hunting skills, spirituality of Nature, and more.

I also say "as far as I know" because I can't claim the kind of depth of background indicated in the movie and have no experience at all of life on a "rez."

The humorous sequences were just wonderful ... hilarious, artful, engaging, and full of contagious laughter. I think especially of the sequences at the opening and closing of the movie. The middle of the movie seemed to lag at times in terms of humor, as well as plot and dialog.

Cinematography was excellent. There are some breathtaking scenes of fog and snow and mountain and tree.

The script for the central romance seemed to me a little strained. The female lead (Marianna Tosca as Tina Little Hawk) was excellent, but her part in the scripted dialog often seemed lagging to me: she smiled brightly and winsomely and almost airheadedly ... yet we know from her first appearance and from subsequent sequences that she was nothing of the sort. The central conversation just didn't have anything like the pace or humor or crisp airy delight of the same kinds of scenes in the Cary Grant or Crosby/Hope flicks.

Still Graham Greene as Earl the Chef was wonderfully humorous. His interactions with the Guests was hilarious. And the final sequences almost make up in quickness and focus and good humor and fun for the lagging middle sequences of the movie. Sam Vlahos as Joe Clouds on Fire was excellent; and Emmet Walsh as Stu turned in a fine performance; and the interactions between Joe and Stu were both the most touching and the most humorous of a movie full of good humor.

I found myself amused for about the first half hour of this film, and then sporadically thereafter. (Vegetarians will particularly appreciate the humor provided by the chef, played by Graham Greene.) The characters are appealing, but two-dimensional, and the hackneyed mistaken-identity plot was tiresome. It's visually beautiful, but not very deep. And why is the Native American male romantic lead played by a white, very Anglo-looking actor? (Not that it was easy to imagine Native American physical traits in the female lead.)

Native American Ray (Timothy Vahle) heads home after graduating from college to help run his family's shabby ski resort. Believing that Tina (Mariana Tosca), a beautiful lodge guest, is an incognito travel guide critic, he decides to improve the quality of the family business. In reality, Tina is at the lodge in search of romance and, in a twist of fate, ends up falling for Ray. When Stu (M. Emmet Walsh), an actual critic, shows up, he is greeted with the staff's typical disorganization.

This film has lots of charm. Its also not a typical Hallmark Christmas film. This film has style & grace. The film is not only romantic but it has great believable characters.

Family Safe but most kids under 12 will be bored. I liked this film so much that I will watch it again before Christmas.