Everyone involved with this micro-feature-cum-holiday-special does a nice job, in part by not trying too hard. The story, such as it is, opens with an inebriated, nervous Bill Murray preparing for a live Christmas program; none of the other celebrity guests, including George Clooney and Paul McCartney, are present due to an airport- and road-closing snowstorm. For an hour or so, the camera glides behind Murray as he tries to perform solo and then interacts with other snowbound employees and guests at the hotel. He later slips into a glitzy, alcohol-induced dream for the finale. Directed with a light, retro-chic touch by Sofia Coppola, the film has moments of genuine emotion (a boozy singalong to Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" featuring, among others, Rashida Jones, Jenny Lewis, and the band Phoenix) and hilarity (a ham-and-cheese rendition of "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'" by Clooney and Murray), and it is always a pleasant bit of self-indulgent whimsy.

B