User reviews

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.

The old Calypso song goes "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife." But, what are you supposed to do if your fiancé is Penelope Cruz? That is Paul Walker's (The Fast and the Furious) problem, and he has a jealous streak. Who wouldn't with Cruz, but it is going to kill his upcoming marriage. No problem, Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) comes to the rescue in a strange way and saves the day.

But, Walker isn't the only one with a problem. Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) has a mother with Alzheimer's and her life is a mess. Who to save her but a burned-out priest (Robin Williams). Well, they really save each other.

This is a sentimental Christmas tale with some laughs, but it is mostly about Christmas miracles. Watch it for the great cast.

Rose (Susan Sarandon) is an author of children's books who is especially lonely this holiday season. Her mother, who is stricken with Alheimer's disease, is having difficulty eating normally and recognizing anyone around her. Rose, a divorcée, has not had a serious romance for quite sometime. And, although a young gentleman in the office makes a pass at her, she is not willing to have a one night encounter. Nina, a lovely young lady, has a good looking, police officer-fiancé but, alas. Mike has a jealous streak that produces sharp anger and abuse, at times. Nina is not certain she wants to continue the relationship. Meanwhile, others in NYC are dealing with baggage from abusive fathers, criminal pasts, and religious doubts. Is this truly the "most wonderful time of the year?" This is a very compelling but rather serious entry into the world of holiday movies. The subject matter is most sobering, even as there are moments of humor and happiness. All of the performers are fine and so is the lovely look of the film's design. If anyone is feeling down at holiday time, this is NOT the film to bring out for a showing. That said, if anyone wishes to watch a thoughtful movie about real issues, try to find this movie during the off season. It has many assets and will enlighten and entertain viewers at the same time.

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.

In need of some Christmas spirit, I decided to watch "Noel" from 2004. All I saw was the name Susan Sarandon, so I didn't realize that the late Paul Walker and the late Robin Williams, who died within nine months of each other, were also in this film. Reason enough to cry right there.

Noel is the story of several people on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Walker is Mike, a police officer, engaged to Nina (Penelope Cruz). His jealousy is tearing apart their relationship. He has another problem. Artie (Alan Arkin) who runs a coffee shop is extra-attentive and shows up at Mike's house with a wild story.

Sarandon's character, Rose, is a successful book editor who is divorced. She is caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer's and doesn't talk. In the next room there is a man who seems to be in a coma. He's always alone, so Rose, as she's decorating her mother's room, goes into his room and puts an angel on his window. In the corner of the room, behind the door, sits Charlie (Robin Williams), who startles her.

Rose meets Nina after she leaves Mike and goes to her family's Christmas Eve dinner. And she runs into Williams again; he has a bizarre story as well.

Then there's Marcus who has someone to break his hand so he can be in the hospital on Christmas. As a child, it was his best Christmas ever. We can assume from that he didn't have a very happy upbringing. Mike, Dennis, and Artie all end up at the hospital at the same time.

This is a really lovely film about miracles and angels who walk the earth whom we don't recognize as such, and how we can touch each other's lives without knowing it. It was very sweet and uplifting and, as I said, a massive tearjerker given the presence of the two late stars. One chose death; one had death thrust upon him. Either way, it's tragic.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY REVIEWED THIS FILM. THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

This film has several inter-winding stories. Some are more interesting than others. What it shows is that we are all connected in some form. We are different but we are also the same.

This film centers on five strangers who are linked together – and who meet each other at separate times – by a series of events that take place on Christmas Eve in New York.

The main character is Rose (Susan Sarandon), a woman who is struggling to cope with caring for her mother, an Alzheimer's patient. Meanwhile, Nina (Penélope Cruz) and Mike (Paul Walker) are a young couple on the verge of breaking up due to Mike's increasingly jealous behavior. Elsewhere, Artie (Alan Arkin) is an old waiter who searches for his deceased wife every Christmas Eve. Finally, Jules (Marcus Thomas) is a young man who deliberately damages his hand so he can attend a Christmas party in the emergency room, as that was the only happy memory of his childhood. In addition to the five main characters, the mysterious Charlie (Robin Williams) is introduced as the person who may be able to help Rose finally realize that she must look after herself more, rather than worrying about everyone else.

Some of these stories work and some don't. I think the age you are at the time of the initial viewing is important on what story you will like the best.

At times this film is a great masterpiece. At other times you get very angry but I think that was the intention. This film however works wonders by making THE VIEWER ask themselves "Where Am I Now" and "Love is important do I love enough"

Well worth watching. I will watch this again

After reading the other reviews on this film, I saw the need for an authentic review. With an all-star cast and a story written with such complex layer and beauty, it is hard to not fall deep into the spirit of this movie. As we watch each character move through the day and night before Christmas Day, we see their stories woven into an interconnected pattern which ultimately proves to the magical power that the Holiday casts on our hearts. Each story different, each life full of pain and love; both sides of the Christmas holiday are shown in this film. The lonely and the loved, the heartsick and the passionate, the joyful and the sad - Noel is a Christmas story which speaks to the truth of the magic of Holiday Season. All actors shine in this touching film, with the performances of Susan Saradon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, and Robin Williams encompassing intense, simple, and artful portraits of the human condition. If you are looking for a modern Holiday movie full of the rich character and story detail found in the great reels of the past - do not turn to the numerous "Seasonal flicks" found on cable TV - but rather, discover and rediscover the magic found in Noel.

NOEL is a very unusual and underrated movie, a bit of a experiment all of his own. Because of this and the depressing nature of the movie is a movie that not all viewers would like. And some critics even hated it at the time. So what I liked of the movie? I'll explain.

As an episodic movie, it features various stories intervowen throughout the story and until the end no one can guess why all the stories are connected. At times the editing looks a bit rushed, at times slow.

The movie is about some New Yorkers that on Christmas Eve they have some hope not only for the holiday season but also for their individual lives. So what are the stories? Briefly: they involve a lonely publisher (Susan Sarandon) that tries to reassure his old mother suffering from Alzheimer's even letting a former priest (Robin Williams in an uncredited cameo) staying a night at her home, a young cop (Paul Walker) that is very jealous towards his girlfriend (Penelope Cruz) but is also pestered by a much older man (Alan Arkin, here very unlikeable), and a poor man named Jules (Marcus Thomas) that desperately wants to spend the Christmas in the hospital in the hope of a party like (according to him) they did when he was younger.

While watching, I found NOEL very interesting despite his depressing nature, and it kept my attention until the very end. Mainly because the movie features various great actors and they all give nice performances here. I loved NOEL? Not exactly, but I admired it for being a very different and inusual Christmas movie (unlike the ones always overplayed on TV like THE GRINCH, ELF, THE SANTA CLAUS). And I am proud of having seen it not only for the Robin Williams uncredited cameo.

I only made it 43mins in but had to cut it. The writing and story is a disaster. Walker's character is painful to watch. Cannot work out how people rate this highly

I started watching this expecting a typical TV movie of the week. Excellent writing, directing, and acting by a great cast make it so much more. "Noel" is a beautiful story that is set in New York City on Christmas Eve and follows several characters whose lives intersect including Susan Sarandon as a lonely single woman caring for a sick mother, Paul Walker as an engaged man who can't seem to feel secure in his relationship with his fiancée(Penelope Cruz), and Alan Arkin as a man with a past that he can't seem to move on from. Themes of loneliness, jealousy, regret, are covered as well as love, acceptance, and reconciliation. If you are looking for a feel good tearjerker to watch over the holiday, I highly recommend this under seen gem.

It is my favorit Chistmas theme film. for many reasons who, year by year, are more and more. first - as puzzle of gray lives. the second - for forms of love. not the last - for moral lessons, many not real profound or credible but useful for easy demonstrations about the structure of relationships. sure, it could be defined as forced, naive or childish, as sketch of serious film or as film using the Christmas only as pretext. but it has all the virtues to be one of expected films by viewer . for cast, off course. for Paul Walken , especially. for angels. and for the encouraging message. and, maybe, for its special beauty. like an Renaissance angel. so, for me, a special, real special film.

No tree decorating, baking cookies or building snowmen. Instead this is a character study of several different people trying to make sense of life. (I counted 6, but maybe Charlie doesn't count.) They all cross paths, some more closely than others.

There are several more popular actors and all do at least a credible job. Susan Sarandon's story is perhaps the most interesting and she does it well.

The story wanders a bit, but I think intentionally. The TV replay I watched was chopped a little too much for commercials and so a couple of times the transitions were confusing.

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!!!

i really did not like this movie at ALL! it's a retread of the same old threads coming together film, but done really really badly. there are no real interactions between the character lines, other than them being in the same hospital (and not even all of them) i am totally willing to suspend disbelief on the hole Christmas miracle thing, but sincerely, this movie is garbage.

none of the characters were deeper than a cardboard cutout... scratch that, i've seen cardboard cutouts with more depth.

if you are a girl under 18, apparently you will love this movie, for the rest of us, just fire up it's a wonderful life and call it good.

Noel excels in depicting the Christmas spirit in dramatic form. As a Christmas drama, Noel is not the typical romance comedy that is often promoted during the holidays and as such it faces a much more difficult climb in captivating and bringing good cheer to people who expect any Christmas movie to contribute to the holiday's sense of happiness and joyous tidings. The script is biting and for the most part imparts a dour, sad even bitter cold ambiance chilling the holiday spirits even more so than Marley from Dicken's A Christmas Carol. There are three storylines that unfold throughout the movie, one is a young lonely man who seeks solace in the only place he has experienced the Christmas spirit, a hospital, a second is a fiancée who is torn between staying or leaving her moody police officer, and finally a woman who cares for others, especially her infirmed hospitalized mother, and who face that realization that she herself has not found the happiness or Christmas spirit that keeps her alive.

Each storyline line is presented in dour, penetrating tones each difficult to watch during what is supposed to be an expectant holiday season of joy for movie goers. In many ways, this movie delves into the deeper regions of mental disorder as well as marital collapse and grief and trauma. From a therapeutic perspective and even a spiritual one, this movie offers a layman's version of mental health treatment something mostly avoided by holiday movies. By the end, this movie offers up a transformative message for many and depicts important soul-searching questions that many movie goers might ask themselves when it comes to personal isolation and despair. This brief holiday movie experience contains valuable insight and a Christmas message, especially the apparently uncredited performance of Robin Williams, in a sensitive and redeeming presentation.

The drama is overbearing, and to a lesser extent, so is the artifice. 'Noel' rather quickly feels like a holiday rendition of fellow 2004 film 'Crash,' in which the lives of several characters facing their own individual difficulties collide under unlikely circumstances. Each tale could of itself be drawn out into a feature length film; smashing them all together feels like simultaneously draining each of their full potential, and overfilling the cup. This isn't to say that it's a bad movie, but it endeavors so mightily to be impactful and meaningful that as a result, impact and meaning is notably dampened.

Credit where it's due: 'Noel' is well made. There are a lot of very recognizable names and faces in the cast, and they inhabit their characters with great heart and nuance. Chazz Palminteri demonstrates a deft hand as a director. While distinctly overwrought, David Hubbard's screenplay is filled with ably written characters, superb scene writing, fine dialogue, and some fantastic ideas and story beats. There's no small amount of strength in this picture. Unfortunately, there's also just so much sentimentality that it feels forced and maudlin instead of natural and genuine.

Anyone who earnestly enjoys the contrivances of holiday-themed comedies or dramas - whether on the silver screen, or on the Hallmark or Lifetime channels - is sure to find this a perfectly satisfying viewing experience. For anyone else, it's a mixed bag. For what it's worth I think 'Noel' is very sincere. That candor simply fails to manifest, for the most part, on account of the overabundant tragedy, hopefulness, and redemption. I like this well enough - I don't regret watching it, not at all. However, I do think this is a fair example of the maxim that sometimes "less is more."

Worth 96 minutes of your time? You could do a lot worse.

It never ceases to amaze me that professional critics bash movies like this one. This is a sweet, endearing movie devoid of cynicism and sarcasm - traits that appear to be necessary for a positive critical review. Don't be fooled by the reviews you see. Watch this movie for yourself.

If you want a heartwarming story, well-acted and poignant, Noel will not disappoint. Because Christmas, in reality, can be a lonely time for some, this movie portrays the 'imperfect' side to the holiday. While the stories intertwine, we witness the struggles and loneliness of these characters, each dealing with different, but very real, sadness.

The love and joy that still is present in this lovely story make this an enjoyable movie, well-worth your time if you want to be uplifted and inspired.

Chazz Palmintari delivers a mostly well thought out plot with a great cast. The story within a story relationship familiarizes characters without their knowledge. Unexpected bits of steamy sexuality. (with a disappointing glimpse into Penelope Cruz's stiff,rhythm-less samba moves) He throws in some surreal experiences that break the stream of sentiments that sort of bombard you in the first half-hour. The feeling of Christmas is real since it was filmed in the actual winter season. I was impressed with the move to a "feeling" part by Paul Walker, I thought his character far from followed suit of the well-to-do thoughtless hunk/hero that he was beginning to be type cast as. Although there are some plot holes, I thought the overall idea behind it was verging on original and the kind of script that makes it a movie to enjoy with you mother.

It's Christmas in NYC. Divorced publisher Rose Collins (Susan Sarandon) struggles to survive the loneliness of the holidays. Her mother is in hospice with Alzheimers. She goes on a date with the much younger Marco from the office. Mike (Paul Walker) is a cop who is battling jealousy over his girlfriend Nina (Penélope Cruz). Mike is stalked by kindly and possibly delusional waiter Artie Venzuela (Alan Arkin). Jules (Marcus Thomas) has a plan to hurt himself so that he can attend the Christmas party at the hospital to relive his best Christmas as a kid.

Screenwriter David Hubbard doesn't have much to his credit and Chazz Palminteri is not known as a director. They are able to gather some great actors but the various stories don't pull me in. Sarandon is somewhat interesting but I don't find the other stories that compelling. Paul Walker really bugged me. The movie moves very slowly. I feel a lot like Mike impatiently waiting for Artie's explanation. Strange or unlikely things keep happening that throws me for a loop. Loneliness at the holidays is an interesting theme but I'm not thrilled with this movie.