Das Wunder von New York (2013)

Das Wunder von New York: Directed by Phil Morrison. With Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Sally Hawkins, Amy Landecker. While out on parole, Dennis reluctantly takes a job selling Christmas trees with his old buddy Rene in order to make enough money to buy his estranged daughter the piano she’s always wanted.

“A rare movie that doesnu0026#39;t portray struggling poor people as linguistically-challenged, trash-dressing, immoral gun-wielding drunk meth-heads. And as no-nonsense sensitive as you might expect from Phil Morrison, the director of u0026#39;Junebugu0026#39;, and Melissa James Gibson, the writer of many u0026#39;House of Cardsu0026#39; episodes. So refreshingly real, and so much talent on all sides, actors included. Of course, Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd are great as always, as is British Sally Hawkins (see Mike Leighu0026#39;s u0026#39;Happy-Go-Luckyu0026#39;, Woody Allenu0026#39;s u0026#39;Blue Jasmineu0026#39;, etc.), playing a Polish immigrant with a heart as big as her accent. The final scenes may seem a bit of a positive stretch, but youu0026#39;re sure ready for one by then, and movies do need to provide us a little fantasy, or else, whatu0026#39;s the point?”