Noël

This film is about how a group of seemingly unconnected people spend their Christmas Eve in New York.

"Noel" may look like a romantic comedy set around Christmas time, but it is much more than that. It excels at portraying their feelings and emotions, and therefore it is particularly engaging. Their live stories are real and down to earth, these events could happen to anyone. It helps viewers to connect with the characters. I find Arty's story particularly touching. The parallel between Arty and Mike, although a little contrived, is also nice as it leads to a happy ending.

"Noel" is a heartwarming film. It makes you care and feel for the characters. It might even make you feel for the people around you too.

Quietly sitting in a hospital is a mysterious and kind man played by Robin Williams. Is he an angel? I'm not going to say. All I will say is that he and Rose help each other feel better.

Artie works in a restaurant. He lost his wife years ago and recognizes that Mike likes many of the same things his wife did. Could he be Mike's long-lost father? No, it's actually much weirder than that, and Artie and Mike end up spending time together, which is not entirely positive.

This is not always a pleasant movie, but it does have some touching moments and great performances. Susan Sarandon does such a good job, showing a very caring attitude, and putting on a good front when the truth her character is miserable. Penelope Cruz has such a positive attitude for what she is going through.

Alan Arkin also shows his talent.

And Robin Williams is amazing as always. He isn't that funny here but he has an ability for pleasant drama. Especially after what just happened to him, it's nice to see him as a man of faith and to hope Williams really did believe in something.

The storyline about Marcus I could have done without. He doesn't seem to interact with the others but merely happens to be in the same room at one point.

Is this a family movie? I wouldn't recommend it for kids, but it has some of the qualities of a holiday family drama. It just reminds us all too much that not everyone has happy holidays, while showing how we can make each other's lives better. And someone forgot to bleep the s-word a couple of times. I don't know whether this means everyone hears it or someone was supposed to be monitoring the movie as it aired. The sound did go out a couple of times later.

It's worth seeing if you don't mind being depressed before you feel better.

I was a bit distracted by some of the bad acting, but overall, I was happy I watched the entire movie. I loved the characters and "reality" of life and loneliness. Having a grandmother (now passed away) that was in a VERY SIMILAR situation to the woman in the hospital, it was very sad. I brought this movie to my mom's to watch, and she cried through the entire movie. She could relate to Susan Sarandon's character perfectly! I love exploring spirituality, so the areas in the movie that touched on that aspect were refreshing. Parts like that always bring a sense of hope about our own lives. Christmas movies are always so entertaining, as they portray a lot of what the holidays can REALLY be like in some families' homes. The chaos, the emotions, the old hidden resentments, etc. All in all, it was an enjoyable movie. LOVE Robin Williams, and Susan Sarandon. They both still look GREAT!!!

"Noel" is a lovely holiday fable that has been unfairly savaged by critics. I found it a charming matching of everyday hard knocks (though only shot partly in New York City) and magic realism.

Key to its attraction are two of the central characters amidst the ensemble Christmas Eve stories.

Susan Sarandon is marvelous as a 40-something woman dragged down by her Alzheimer's mother who undergoes in effect a walkabout through the city to reexamine her life.

Paul Walker is wonderful as a very macho, very New York cop whose explosive jealousy around his fiancée pushes her away. As she is Penelope Cruz in the only English-language role I've ever liked her in, his reaction to how guys look at her is grounded in some reality. His own reaction to her sexy private dancing for him ratchets up the seasonal temperature in terrific chemistry of his blue-eyed blond and her sultry darkness, though I don't know if the televised version on TNT cut anything from the theatrical version.

The central characters are touched by oddballs, played by Robin Williams and Allan Arkin, who are as unlikely as Clarence from "It's A Wonderful Life" or the old man in "Prelude to a Kiss," and similarly help them reach important epiphanies at dawn.

The pay-off also finally comes in a side story about a man with nostalgia for Christmas in the E.R., but is more heavy-handed.

The repeated jokes about straight guys misidentified as gay are of the heavy handed "Will and Grace" mode but are useful to specific plot points.

Noel is lovely holiday fare. The tag line could be "Everything that happens, happens for a reason". This holiday story reveals characters that are easy to identify with and through the circumstances that unfold, their lives weave a tapestry of love, growth and the often overlooked kindness of humanity. The storyline and dialogue bring plenty of warm hearted sentimentality to the film which is nicely offset by incidents of comic relief. Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams deliver wonderful performances and you will find yourself deeply caring about their characters. Director Chazz Palminteri brings out another side of Paul Walker, proving that Mr. Walker can do more than just drive fast cars. Penelope Cruz is as lovely as ever lending inner beauty through her character as well. Alan Arkin plays a delightful character with a twist. The remaining cast, including a cameo by Mr. Palminteri, does a nice job of completing the ensemble and giving this story heart. Though the story revolves around the Christmas holiday, it may serve to remind us that each person is connected to one another within the human family no matter what the season.