The easiest thing to say about All Is Bright— director Phil Morrison's first film since Junebug (2005)— is that all is not bright. This is a dark comedy so obsessed with being dark that it does not for one moment let up. This is no light-hearted Christmas comedy about two guys trying to sell Christmas trees. Look elsewhere if that's what you're hoping to see here.
All Is Bright gives the great Paul Giamatti a rare leading role as Dennis, a career criminal who is out on parole and hoping to go straight. Unfortunately, when he gets home, he finds that his partner, Rene (Paul Rudd) is hoping to marry his wife (Amy Landecker), who has told his daughter that he died of cancer. He also can't find a job, because there nothing is available in his part of Quebec. So at first, there's some temptation to go back to being a thief.
The only straight opportunity that comes to him, though, is selling Christmas trees with Rene in New York. Dennis takes the job, but tempers flare. Thankfully, Dennis eventually sells a tree to a woman (Sally Hawkins) who is working for a dentist. They hit it off and she becomes his friend, trying to raise his spirits.
All Is Bright was written by Melissa James Gibson, who appears to be trying to craft a Frank Capra-esque story, but sucks all the charm and humor out of it. There are few laughs and little reason for an audience to root for any of these characters. As good an actor as Giamatti is, I have no desire to spend more time with Dennis than the 107 minutes this film requires. His character feels out of time, right down to that bizarre beard, which might be the funniest thing about the movie. If anything, the only character that should have had more screen time is Sally Hawkins' character, but since there's no chance in Gibson's story for Dennis to fall in love with her, it's pointless.
Morrison's directing and use of the camera is intriguing, as he creates a stylized world in New York and Quebec. He has a dark palette, which of course fits a film where the darkest things happen. Throughout the film, I couldn't help but think it was impossible to get darker. But Rene and Dennis have their money stolen and both have to resort to theft. Even in the somewhat happy ending, not everyone leaves happy.
All Is Bright is being released on Blu-ray by Anchor Bay, which also gave the film a limited theatrical run. The Blu-ray has zero bonus material, which is disappointing, since a commentary might have shed some light on what Morrison was hoping to accomplish. A couple of teasers do show up when you put the disc in, but there is no trailer included. You do get an Ultra-Violet digital copy, though.
There are times for dark comedies, but even the best of them have some light-hearted moments. All Is Bright is mostly devoid of these, meaning that the audience is left wondering why we were watching in the first place. None of the characters go through any sort of change and the man we think we're supposed to root for doesn't get what he wants. This is recommended for anyone who enjoys good actors stuck with odd material. Let's hope Giamatti gets another shot at a lead role soon.