Un conte de Noël (2008)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Arnaud Desplechin

Writers:

Arnaud Desplechin (scenario and dialogue) &
Emmanuel Bourdieu (scenario and dialogue)

Release Date:

21 May 2008 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The Vuillard's shared history of physical and mental illness, estrangement, self harm, and loss doesn't lead itself to the idea of a cheerful holiday season. But can a Christmastime reunion, a scheme concocted by three of the youngest family members, finally bring peace their clan? |

Plot Keywords:

Schizophrenia | France | Family Relationships | Alcoholic | Bone Marrow Transplant

Awards:

2 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	Junon
Jean-Paul Roussillon	...	Abel, Junon's husband
Anne Consigny	...	Elizabeth, their oldest child
Mathieu Amalric	...	Henri, their middle child
Melvil Poupaud	...	Ivan, their youngest child
Hippolyte Girardot	...	Claude, Elizabeth's husband
Emmanuelle Devos	...	Faunia, Henri's lover
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Sylvia, Ivan's wife
Laurent Capelluto	...	Simon, Junon's nephew, the painter cousin
Emile Berling	...	Paull, Elizabeth and Claude's son
Thomas Obled	...	Basile, Ivan and Sylvia's son
Clément Obled	...	Baptiste, Ivan and Sylvia's son
Françoise Bertin	...	Rosaimée, Abel's mother's girlfriend
Samir Guesmi	...	Spatafora, the family friend at Roubaix
Azize Kabouche	...	Doctor Zraïdi, the oncologist

Also Known As:

A Christmas Tale (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

France:150 min | USA:150 min | Argentina:150 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | USA:Unrated | UK:15 | Sweden:7 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Roubaix, Nord, France

Company:

Why Not Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Faunia introduces herself to Abel in the foyer, she takes off her glasses and shakes his hand. In the very next shot, as Abel is greeting Henri, she removes her glasses again.

Movie Connections:

Features The Ten Commandments (1956)

James Joyce Meets Antonin Chekov

'Un Conte 'de Noel',or as it's being distributed in the U.S.A. as 'A Christmas Tale' is a very well written,directed & acted out drama, with some minor touches of comedy,but is NOT a all out comedy as it is being touted in the somewhat misleading trailer for the film. It is a tale of a highly dysfunctional French upper middle class family with enough head cases to keep any psychologist/analyst rolling in Euros for a life time. The cast is headed by a radiant Catherine Denuve (as usual)as the head of the household,who has just found out she has a potentially fatal form of bone cancer,and only a bone marrow transplant from a family member may be the only saving grace for her. The only problem: most of her children royally hate one another. The possibilities for a family reunion at Christmas only makes for a possible meltdown. The screenplay may remind one of elements of James Joyce,as well as Antonin Chekov (especially the use of metaphors,such as the occasional use of traditional Irish music on the soundtrack,as well as one of the characters who is ironically named Ivan. The film's rather long running time (two & a half hours)may remind one of certain stage plays by Irish playwright,Brian Freil (but there isn't a slack moment in the entire film---at least I didn't think so). This is a smart,cutting film that is worth seeking out. As this is an import,and is being carried by a small,independent distributor,there is no MPAA rating, but would fare little more than an PG-13 for a bit of raunchy language,some adult situations & a rather uncomfortable scene in a hospital,involving a bone marrow transplant. You may want to think twice about bringing young children (who would probably be bored with reading English subtitles,anyway)