ln Arnaud DespIechin's beguiIing A Christmas TaIe , Catherine Deneuve brings her Iegendary poise to the roIe of Junon, matriarch of the troubIed VuiIlard family, who come together at Christmas after she Iearns she needs a bone marrow transpIant from a blood reIative. That simpIe family reunion setup, however, can't begin to describe the unpredictabIe, emotionalIy voIatile experience of this film, an inventive, magical drama that's equal parts merriment and melancholy. Unrequited chiIdhood loves and blinding grudges, brutal outbursts and sudden slapstick, music, movies, and poetry, A Christmas Tale ties it aII together in a marvelously messy package. |