Christmas Eve in Miller's Point

A plotless film... A chaotic masterpiece, perhaps? I felt an immediate sense of belonging amidst the Christmas clamor in this house of diverse personalities.

It's as if you're a fly on the wall, observing every single character, mischievous children, and snippets of conversations lost in the festive din. And I love it.

The soundtrack is rich, the scenes fleeting, yet every frame is a visual delight. The credits reveal the joy that went into crafting this cinematic gem. I especially loved the first hour, after that it's somehow different, since scenes are out of the house.

Count me in for another viewing next year. :)

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point is a stunning and strange film from Tyler Taormina, an uncompromising young filmmaker.

If you've seen Taormina's previous films, ("Ham on Rye" / "Wild Flies" / the dialogue-less "Happer's Comet") then you might have a sense of what is going to wash over you when you sit down for this, his first effort to see broader distribution.

Taormina's films exist outside of conventional genre and storytelling. They're funny, but they're not comedies, there's drama, but they're not dramas. Characters experience conflict and resolution, but no single thread that must be followed to its end.

Taormina's films offer an experience that feels totally alive, with characters you'll fall in love with, and moments that feel too ordinary to be Hollywood, as well as moments that seem to absurd to be faked.

This is a difficult film to share, because the press materials (accurately) depict a family Christmas movie featuring Michael Cera, but it's not what you'd expect from that at all. When trying to describe the film, it begins to sound "art house" and dry, but it's anything but.

It's a film I strongly recommend to anyone with an open mind and an open heart. Personally, the holidays are not a selling point for me (unless it's "Black Christmas" 1974), but the world Taormina and his excellent cast created was utterly enthralling.

There is a reason this movie is rated 5/10 and that is a very kind rating probably boosted by reviewers who have a stake in this production. If you're looking for a half decent movie to watch this season this one does not make the grade. What an absolutely boring pointless waste of time and the ending is the worst part of the worst Christmas movie I have ever seen. No humour anywhere in this dragged out monotonous story line. Seems to me if this was real the suicide rate in this town would be significantly above average. If you watch this movie anyway don't say you weren't warned that it is the most forgetful Christmas movie yo will likely ever see.

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point tells the story of a family who have a get-together on Christmas Eve at the family home & it could be their last holiday there. As the night goes on, arguments abound among different generations of the family. Meanwhile, one of the teenagers sneaks out, to paint the town red with her friends.

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point is just an average film. Director Tyler Taormina has given us a movie with a meandering story that doesn't really go anywhere, even when the credits roll. The scenes with the adults are pointless & are incredibly boring. The scenes with the teenagers are fun & are the saving grace of the film. Matilda Fleming is fantastic as Emily. Maria Dizzia is awesome as Kathleen. Francesca Scorsese is great as Michelle. Elsie Fisher is brilliant as Lynn. Michael Cera & Greg Turkington are hilarious as Officer Gibson & Sergeant Brooks, respectively. The supporting cast is effective. Christmas Eve in Miller's Point is not a must watch. Watch it if you're having a Christmas movie marathon & don't mind having an average movie in the mix.

There is literally no plot, no story, and no character development of any kind. What was the point of this? A full 45 minutes in, nothing has happened. It's just random people that we don't know, doing random stuff at a Christmas party, and none of it is interesting in any way. It starts with a family, so your thinking it's about the family, then we don't see them again for almost an hour after they walk through the door. Then we see a bunch of relatives in a typical Christmas gathering talking about people and things we know literally nothing about. It's like they just had a camera person walk into a random party and they just start filming. Who green lit this? If you want footage of some random family's Christmas where nothing happens, then this is the movie for you. Otherwise, pass.