Almost Friends

Very little is actually bright for Giamatti’s just-paroled career criminal, who returns home following his four-year stretch to find that his wife (Amy Landecker) has told their young daughter (Tatyana Richaud) that he died of cancer.

...if you're looking for cute, All is Bright has it for days. I wish I could give four stars to Giamatti's big, sad eyes and outrageous Civil War beard.

...the story is essentially a cutie pie, a gruff but sweet-natured Christmas tale for a predetermined alternative sect.

...submerges itself in melancholy, casting a compassionate eye over characters laid low by disappointing life choices that are amplified by the oncoming rush of Christmastime cheer.

Even with a quirky, indie ending that aims straight for the heart but misses said target, All Is Bright becomes watchable because Paul Rudd and Paul Giamatti are better than you. They just are.