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| Movie Review: A Christmas Tale Alternate Title: Holiday Hemlock
Story: If you are looking for
a chestnuts roasting on an open fire type of rosy cheeked, tidy holiday
tale stay away from this latest film by director Arnaud Desplechin
(Kings and Queens). Instead of those sappy, neatly tied up
endings of dysfunction family junction put out by Hollywood at this
time of years, writers Desplechin and Emmanuel
Bourdieu deliver a family that probably makes your own look
loving, warm and fuzzy.
The cast of characters include Junon and Abel
who are the parents of three adult children. The history of this warring
clan is muddied with a long ago childhood death that has never been
emotionally resolved, a recent diagnosis of cancer that might be remedied
with a matching donor transplant, a depressed daughter, a mentally tortured
teenage son and a self-destructive black sheep son who has been banished
from family events. If that is not enough for you they throw in a story
line about filial, unrequited love. This merry band of a nut jobs find
themselves thrown together in the family home for the week before Christmas.
While there is not any mistletoe, there is some bed hopping (it is a
French film).
The good news is that there are moments of wonder,
surprise and cinematic art that fill the screen. The bad news is that
the story, what there is of it, goes on too long and many of the questions
I had were never answered.
Watch the trailer but do not be fooled. This
in NOT a comedy as marketed in the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1yPhab421Q Acting: Catherine Deneuve (Junon) is always a treat
to see on the big screen. Jean-Paul Roussillon (Abel),
was terrific as the father of this dysfunctional clan. Anne
Consigny (Élizabeth), the emotionally depressed sister
was a bit two-dimensional for my taste. Mathieu Amalric
(Henri), the black sheep, is one of the best actors around. He was wonderful.
Melvil Poupaud (Ivan), the other son, also had a part
with not much to do or develop. Emmanuelle Devos (Faunia),
as the token Jewish date brought to the family gathering was lost on
me. Chiara Mastroianni (Sylvia), has a wonderful light
to her. Her DNA shows (see trivia below). Trivia: Catherine Deneuve had a 'love child' with
Roger Vadim who was also married at various times to Bridget Bardot
and Jane Fonda. She also has a child with Marcello Mastroianni, Chiara
Mastroianni who plays daughter-in-law, Sylvia in this film.
Mathieu Amalric also plays the eco-villain in Quantam
of Solace and was the star in the The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Anne Consigny (Élizabeth), played the very patient
transcriber in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Predilection: None
Critters: An imaginary dog.
Food: It is the Christmas holiday time of year. There
was a lot of food but much of it is either thrown or not eaten.
Sex Spectrum: Oui.
Soundtrack: An extremely eclectic track by Grégoire
Hetzel.
Opening Titles: A delightful entry into the film with
shadow puppets and an intro story line.
Visual Art: Director of photography, Éric
Gautier does a beautiful job of getting all of the detail just right
in this wacky home.
Weather: It is winter in Roubaix, a town near the
Belgium border.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 2
Squirm Scale: 1 - The scenes in the hospital are squirmy.
Drift Factor: I looked at my watch a number of times
as I wondered where the heck this story was going.
Predictability Level: Did not have a clue.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine.
Length: 30 minutes over the two hour Lobo rule.
LOBO HOWLS: 7 |