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Christmas in the Clouds; (DVD) 'PG' Rating;
A classic comedy of mistaken identity and romance set during the holiday season at a ski resort that is owned and operated by a native american nation.
A brilliantly funny independent movie filled with memorable characters who behave with the unpredictability of real people. Filmed in late 2001, it won multiple awards at film festivals before being polished and released in 2005- again to positive critical reviews and very enthusiastic audience response. (It was held over at many of the art theatres that screened it.)
The film's central conceit- a comedy of errors featuring a mostly Native American cast- establishes a familiar set of expectations that the characters then confound. (The airport scene, for example, which seems about to land in cliche, veers off in a surprising manner.) The cultural setting (with Robert Redford's Sundance standing in for a reservation resort) provides an exotic yet specific context. Serious issues are handled lightly in which serious issues are handled lightly.
The obvious comparisons for the film are "Local Hero," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and, most recently "Little Miss Sunshine." Like those films, CITC depends on an ensemble cast, lots of background detail, and most of all, at the center of everything, the often missing element that largest budget in the world can't buy: heart.
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