Noel
Review by: Kat

Noel is a touching Christmas story with an all star cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker and Robin Williams.

On the Eve of Christmas a lonly divorcee Rose (Susan Sarandon) spend her time with mother who is suffering from Alzheimers and is capable of eating let alone recognizing her daughter; Rose feels compassion for the lonely patient in the adjacent room and in putting an angel decoration on his window meets a man meeting him (Robin Williams). Young couple Nina (Penelope Cruz) and Mike (Paul Walker) are suffering problems in their relationship due to Mike's suffocating jealousy, with their wedding looming Nina finds herself considering calling it off. Meanwhile, Mike is stalled by a strange man who saw him at a bar. A lonely man who was hospitilized over Christmas when he was 14 and found it the best Christmas of his life sets out to spend another Chrsitmas in the hospital. Ultimately these characters lifes cross paths as they all learn the meaning of love, forgiveness and redemption.

Noel manages to avoid the sickeningly cheesy cliche that is Christmas films by keeping a soft touch of cold reality present throughout the film. The characters are real, their stories tragic and you find yourself getting pulled into their lives. You root for their happiness and feel their pain. Definitely a film worth checking out, especially now with the holiday season upon us.

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