Synopsis: “Christmas Angels follows a single mother and her young daughter as they navigate poverty, and a mother’s determination not to let their circumstances rob her child of joy.” The duo are homeless, but (apparently) using wire (later used to make Christmas ornaments) to pick locks and find shelter from the wintery blasts. Loosely inspired by writer and co-director Ida Hoffman’s own life with a mother trying to raise three kids by herself, the film marks Ida Hoffman’s debut as a filmmaker.
Ida wrote the piece, directed it and stars in it with a skeleton crew and shot on a shoestring budget. Writer/Director Ida and Co-director Remington Hoffman do a great job of presenting the very attractive mother/daughter duo in distress. Remington deserves praise for the cinematography.
Una Bay Hoffman plays the part of Ida’s young daughter. She is charming in this real-life role. Any mother of a girl thinks their daughter at this age is the cutest child ever. Una certainly is in the running for that title in this film. She reacts with completely genuine familiarity. Most of the charm of the piece comes from watching the mother/daughter duo interact, although it is unlikely that homelessness was ever this much fun in real life or carried out in such high-style surroundings.
PLOT
It was a bit difficult, at first, to understand why Ida and her child hide from the male figure who enters the house, seemingly to pick something up. We later figure out that it is supposed to be Mitch Keeler, the real owner of this pricey piece of real estate.
When the security guard (Benjamin Chamberlain) discovers the mother and child within the house, dressed in large fluffy bathrobes, he apologizes, at first believing Ida’s story that the two are house-sitting. A quick call to Mitch Keeler quickly reveals that “Sarah Smith” is not really house-sitting. The security guard informs Ida that he is going to have to contact the police. At this point, the resourceful Mom Ida asks for a bit of time behind the door to change the two into clothes. They immediately flee.
However, in the very next scene, (apparently somewhere close by), the mother/daughter duo are shown knocking on doors selling home-made wire Christmas tree ornaments house-to-house (to buyers Niles Antoli and Josie O’Brien). The mother/daughter trespassers learn from Niles and Josie that most other residents in this upscale neighborhood have already left for the holidays, which is helpful news that comes at the right time.
The last scenes depict Ida once again picking the lock to gain entry.
CONCLUSION
The lovely homes—exterior and interior—and the beautiful child and mother make the cinematography (by Remington Hoffman) interesting and beautiful, featuring Christmas decorations and lovely homes. Watching the two frolicking and seeking shelter from the elements as occurred at the first Christmas in Bethlehem (in a manger and a stable) is touching. The film—shot with natural light—is beautifully photographed; the sound design is by Lucas Heinel.
The 13’ 25” short is pitched as “timely” in depicting the disparity between the “haves” and the “have nots” in today’s society. The only thing wrong with that logic is that the ability to lock-pick one’s way into posh lodgings for free seemed incredibly easy and unbelievably fast, since the two bogus lodgings seem to have been right around the corner from one another.
Plus, the mother/daughter duo appeared to be the legitimate residents. They are clean and cute and well-dressed in large fluffy robes that they also have apparently “borrowed.” Said the synopsis: “The story feels especially relevant now as economic inequality continues to grow and impact vulnerable populations, including single parents. While conversations around poverty often focus on statistics, Christmas Angels brings the human experience into the foreground and reminds audiences that dignity, imagination, and love are vital and exist far beyond someone’s circumstances.”
At times, this looked like an advertisement for luxury bedding or super-fluffy lounging bathrobes. The sets are beautiful and so are Ida and Una.
Homelessness never looked so good IRL .
