Christmas (2003) Reviews

New Zealander Gregory King writes and directs the painfully realistic drama Christmas, starring mostly nonprofessional actors. Shot with digital video, the film follows a lower-middle-class working family during the few weeks before Christmas. When he runs out of money, oldest son Keri (David Hornblow) comes home to Whangerei, NZ, for the holidays. He woefully celebrates the season with his overworked mother Loma (Darien Takle) and retired father Brian (Tony Waerea). He also reunites with his troubled siblings: neurotic Megan (Helen Pearse Otene), who has two kids and a loser boyfriend; stoner Richard (Czahn Armstrong), who has a secret obsession with gay porn; and withdrawn Donna (Kate Sullivan), who happens to be pregnant. Christmas was shown in the video competition at the 2003 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi