Christmas in the Clouds

I enjoyed the movie; found it to be funny and the plot reminiscent of some films from the 40s. It reminded me of Smoke Signals, another refreshing native American film made a few years ago. The scenery was beautiful; wish winter had come sooner so there had been more pictures of the forest deep with snow.

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.)

I was invited to a private screening of the film in New York recently, and was thoroughly impressed by what I saw. "Christmas in the Clouds" is a film of perfect rhythm - the movie is funny when it is should be funny. It's serious when it should be serious. There's an addictive flow to the film that takes the viewer on a smooth ride - you watch the film because you want to watch. The direction of the movie allows the viewer to fall in love with the various characters (each with their own quirkiness). The plots are interwoven and laced with one another, bringing together an excellent example of the "perfect screenplay". Lines are delivered effortlessly, and the actors are exceptional. The cinematography is breathtaking, as is the awesome landscape seen in the picture. Kate Montgomery has done a commendable job in creating a beautiful film, and I highly recommend it to any film enthusiast who desires a quality product. I, for one, consider "Christmas in the Clouds" time well spent.

"Christmas in the Clouds" is a charming romantic, Native American take on "Fawlty Towers".

Set at a Utah resort that's Indian tribal owned and operated (as was the production of the film), with a majority Indian cast, the plot entanglements and eventual resolution in debut writer/director Kate Montgomery's film are pretty obvious from the first ten minutes, but how the colorful characters get there is fun.

The opening voice over narration is a bit awkward in setting up the situation for the mistaken identities, but the introduction of each eccentric character is quite entertaining. While the plot contrivance in romantic travails probably goes back further than Shakespeare, the dialog that keeps the mistakes going in double entendres is amusing (including her as a NY Mohawk "passing" as NY Italian by using her father's last name).

Amidst the funny running joke about romance novels' depiction of a "savage" lover, Timothy Vahle as "Ray Clouds on Fire" and Mariana Tosca as "Tina Little Hawk" are staggeringly gorgeous, but they each bring a wariness and neediness to their characters that has you rooting for them more than for the vicarious thrill of watching beautiful people kiss on screen. We rarely see in films educated off-the-rez professionals like them back home, having returned to their families for emotional personal reasons (it's inferred that his ex was non-Indian). The parent/child relationships throughout are much warmer than any we've seen before in the few Indian films.

There are jokes throughout on Indian stereotypes in image and language, and that's the term the characters use, not Native American. Here the alcoholic, alienated father is the white guy, M. Emmet Walsh, who is both comic and touching. But none of the whites are played for stereotypes (including a cute flirtation between a British guest and "Ray"s father, played by a solid Sam Vlahos). In another reverse, this may be Wes Studi's only comic performance, in a cameo as a guest bingo caller. Singer Rita Coolidge of the distinctive husky voice also has a brief cameo as "Tina"s mother. Graham Greene is very funny as a vegetarian chef with serious issues about his menu.

There is some contemporary Native American music on the soundtrack and lovely performances of translated Chrismas carols.

The tiny budget is obvious with some continuity errors and background shots with inconsistent snow/no snow, but the Utah scenery is lovely, and this is much more about the people up front than the details in the background.

What a shame that I was the only one in the theater in NYC, when a broad stereotyped ethnic romantic comedy like "Big Fat Greek Wedding" was a hit. While I would enjoy following these characters in a continued life in a sit com, this sweet little film could have an extended life as a holiday staple on cable, like on the Hallmark Channel.

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.