Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale)

Talk about dysfunctional family holiday gatherings. American families have nothing compared to this Parisian family of 3 generations. Europeans behaving badly or whatever you want to call it, there are plenty of characters to love, to hate, to related to, and to be baffled by.

Catherine Deneuve leads this brilliant cast. Mathieu Amalric plays the middle and craziest of the siblings in this twisted family and Anne Consigny his tortured older sister. Other sibs, their spouses, their children, their friends, and all are played equally masterfully.

The photography is superb and the soundtrack is delicious. If you enjoy both those things, your time will be well-spent with this movie.

That said, this movie is NOT for everyone. It is slow. It is odd. It is in place morbid. Who holds the family hostage over a life-saving marrow donation? Can we even imagine this happening here? I think not. This movie is also in French - prepare to read. But also prepare to watch scenes more than one to see the scene and a second time to read the dialogue.

Watch this movie at your own risk, but be prepared for treasure if you like this sort of thing.