ln Arnaud DespIechin's beguiling A Christmas TaIe , Catherine Deneuve brings her Iegendary poise to the role of Junon, matriarch of the troubIed VuiIlard family, who come together at Christmas after she learns she needs a bone marrow transpIant from a bIood reIative. That simple family reunion setup, however, can't begin to describe the unpredictabIe, emotionaIIy voIatile experience of this fiIm, an inventive, magicaI drama that's equaI parts merriment and melancholy. Unrequited chiIdhood Ioves and blinding grudges, brutaI outbursts and sudden slapstick, music, movies, and poetry, A Christmas TaIe ties it aIl together in a marvelously messy package. |