A Christmas Tale (2008)
"Un conte de Noël" (original title)

The Vuillard family is no stranger to physical/mental illness, loss, and banishment. But when the matriarch becomes in need of a transplant, the whole family is forced to come together, emotional baggage and all, just in time for Christmas.

Director:

Arnaud Desplechin

Writers:

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

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Consigny

4 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

The Vuillard family gathers: Junon and Abel, a daughter Elizabeth and her son Paul, Henri and a girlfriend, Ivan, his wife Sylvia and their young sons, and cousin Simon. Six years before, Elizabeth paid Henri's debts and demanded he never see her again or visit their parents' home. Paul, at 16, has mental problems and faces a clinical exam. Junon learns she needs a bone marrow transplant if she's to live beyond a few months: thus the détente bringing all together. Two family members have compatible marrow, but the spats, fights, cruel words, drunken toasts, and somewhat civilized bad behavior threaten all; plus Junon may simply refuse treatment. Do we know ourselves?

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Plot Keywords:

transplant | christmas | bone marrow transplant | banishment | debt | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [fr] Official site [jp]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 May 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

A Christmas Tale

Filming Locations:

Aéroport de Lille-Lesquin, Lesquin, Nord, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$63,837 (USA) (14 November 2008)

Gross:

$1,060,602 (USA) (30 January 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Why Not Productions, France 2 Cinéma, Wild Bunch

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Finnish censorship visa register # 207824 delivered on 14-10-2008.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Sylvia - Ivan's wife: When did it happen?
Simon - Junon's nephew - the painter cousin: What do you mean?
Sylvia - Ivan's wife: I want details. She mentioned a decision you all made. Tell me where and when. Was it here?
Simon - Junon's nephew - the painter cousin: Easter vacation, 1991. At the community centre. You were next door.
Sylvia - Ivan's wife: I remember. Is Ivan aware of this?
Simon - Junon's nephew - the painter cousin: It's history.
Sylvia - Ivan's wife: Was Ivan with you? Or did you and Henri decide our fate behind his back?
Simon - Junon's nephew - the painter cousin: Ivan was there.
Sylvia - Ivan's wife: What did you say?
Simon - Junon's nephew - the painter cousin: Henri and I were talking about you. Guy talk. Ivan was quiet, smiling. Then he said, "If I don't get her, I'll never get over it."
[...]

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Connections

Features The Ten Commandments (1956)

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Soundtracks

"Symphonie Ad Sepulcrum"
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Conducted by Anne Christine Leuridan
Performed by Juliette Bartau (violin), Léo Mahieux (violin);Antoine Delsalle (viola), Sophie Daubresse (cello) and Gilles Breux (guitar).
Published by Why Not Productions

User Reviews

No Compelling Reason to Spend Time with This Particular Family

An overly long and incredibly too talky dysfunctional family drama about a clan reuniting for one Christmas to see which if any family members will have bone marrow that's compatible with that of the matriarch, played by a chilly Catherine Deneuve. She's dying of a rare kind of cancer, and the spectre of that eventuality plus the proximity of brothers and sisters who haven't seen each other for a while and have scores to settle puts everyone in a reflective mood. Unfortunately for us, they stay in that mood for nearly three hours, and they talk and talk and talk endlessly about it.

There's far too much plot, some of it quite banal, some of it very interesting. The film is well executed and acted, but it's also distant and cold. I never felt vested in anything that happened to these people, and I greeted the ending with the curiosity of one who has spent a lot of time with something and simply wants to finish it rather than with any real concern for what the ending would be.

"A Christmas Tale" falls into the trap of too many family dysfunction dramas: We all have our own families to deal with in real life, so if we're going to spend 2-3 hours listening to the petty whining of someone else's, it better damn well be worth our time.

Grade: B