VIFF 2024: Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point Review

The following is a review from the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

As a spiritual successor to Tyler Taormina’s debut film, Ham on Rye, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point nails the assignment that many modern films fail to capture when it comes to nostalgia. Films that constantly have to remind audiences of every individual reference to capture amounts of short-lived dopamine provide very little return on investment towards its lasting legacy. Both of Taormina’s films instead encapsulate the essence of nostalgia. 

Miller’s Point, in particular, pays homage to such holiday classics as Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, and more. Meanwhile, Taormina also takes more subtle influence from early Wes Anderson films, focusing on a more grounded style with hints of visual distinctiveness shown through its various Christmas decorations, sets, and costumes. He establishes an incredible atmosphere built on nuanced, cozy nostalgic moments surrounding the Balsano family reunion on Christmas Eve. The focal point of Taormina’s vision is to highlight the family dynamic while letting audiences piece together nostalgic clues including VHS tapes, video games, and brief discussions of current events to emulate a late 1990s/early 2000s vibe.

Easily relatable to one’s own holiday traditions, the film will grasp the emotions of audiences with fond memories of simpler times at their own past family gatherings. The authenticity behind its little moments aid in bringing the most realistic portrayal of such events to the screen. The deliberately subdued conflicts and deeply personal stakes become more impactful over the course of the film as audiences connect with the various members of the Balsano family compared to numerous over-the-top holiday extravaganzas seen in recent years. The success of these holiday classics ultimately lies in their depiction of the real meaning of the holiday, as opposed to simply telling audiences through tiring theatrics and visual effects.

To get his point across, Taormina utilizes an ensemble of stage performers, character actors, and real-life people to form this dynamic family. Comparable to how Sean Baker or the Safdie brothers incorporate this style of street casting, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point finds a balance in having all his actors compliment each other in a scene as opposed to using inexperienced performers to prop up the main characters of the story. Despite some slight focus on a few characters, much of this concept works because of how the film depicts this ensemble as a whole, letting each character take turns impacting the story where they’re needed instead of relying on a single driving point of view.

At the end of the day, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point establishes itself as a rare modern Christmas staple that is sure to enter into the holiday film rotation of many audiences. Taormina’s casting style and authentic portrayal of family traditions exhibits the result of a character-driven ensemble without getting bogged down in showcasing a past era for the sake of nostalgia.

 still courtesy of IFC Films

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Costa Christoulas

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