A Christmas Tale
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Cert: 12a
Time: 2 hrs 30 mins (French with subtitles)
For many Christmas means the joy of spending time with loved ones. Not so the Vuillard family. Estranged son Henri (Mathieu Amaric) returns home to see his cancer stricken mother, Junon delightfully played by Catherine Deneuve. Oldest daughter Elizabeth is unhappy to see her brother, he having been such an emotional and financial drain on the family that she had him legally banished for six years. Meeting him again after such a long time reignites long held hostility. But in a twist of irony Junon’s life can only be prolonged by Henri whose blood group is the most compatible to allow for a bone marrow transplant.
Given this set up, Arnaud Desplechin’s dark comedy about the idiosyncrasies that afflict all families, is long and involved. Which is both its weakness and its strength. After two hours I was wondering when it was going to end, but by this time had gained a real insight into what made this family tick. So much so that it was entirely believable and for that reason both funny and moving.
Rating: 3.5/5
Patrons: 23
CA
