A Christmas Movie that Almost Delivers

Even the most dysfunctional of families can find a way to get through the holidays. The spirit of the season often overrides a painful past and people focus on the “important things” in life.

But what happens when a family with the most dysfunction you’re likely to ever see on screen also has a history of mental and physical illness, banishment, and overly brutal honesty?

The result is Arnaud Desplechin’s "A Christmas Tale". Not your average holiday fare, the film, starring Catherine Deneuve and Mathieu Amalric (who can also be currently found on the big screen playing James Bond’s latest nemesis), portrays a family’s Christmas gathering, but with several twists. One of the three brothers has been estranged from all family events for six years, his nephew has just been committed to a mental institution, and the matriarch has been diagnosed with cancer.

A stellar ensemble cast handles the material with subtlety, humor and grace while Desplechin’s direction is forceful when needed yet he also backs off at just the right times. The Vuillard family is not shy about making their feelings known and those moments are captured with bravery. At one point Deneuve’s character, Junon, tells one of her sons that she has never liked him. He responds that he feels the same. A scene that could have succumbed to the awkwardness of the moment is handled with the honesty and light humor it deserves.

"A Christmas Tale" is one of the best films you’ll see this holiday season, but it does wane as it wraps up, getting lost in itself. Like family reunions, it is not for everyone.

"A Christmas Tale" is currently showing at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema.