If anything, director Arnaud Desplechin has come up with the perfect French riposte to Wes Anderson’ widely lauded The Royal Tenenbaums with this distinctly unseasonal conte de Noël. More specifically, an eccentric family, with a tortuously complicated history, is reunited for the first time in years by the prospect that one of them is dying from cancer. That said, the comedy here is jet black and pitilessly morbid. Moreover, in Henri Vuillard (marvellously portrayed by Mathieu Amalric), the film has its equivalent of Royal. The third of four children, he has become an unprincipled and belligerent middle-aged drunk. having been banished from the family some time ago by his sister Elizabeth (Anne Consigny), Henri’s relationship with his cold and indifferent mother Junon (Catherine Deneuve) is not much better either.
So, is there any festive cheer to be had here? Not much, even if certain family traditions are well respected – be it the present-giving ceremony in front of the Christmas tree, everyone drowsily watching some mediocre film on the telly, or someone making a drunken prat out of himself at the dinner table. Yes, so far, so like most homes over the festive period. However, on top of the human wrecking ball that is Henri, throw in Elizabeth’s depression, Junon’s illness, a teenager prone to self-harm (Emile Berling), the revelation of long-held affections, a Jewish girlfriend (Emmanuelle Devos), and the shadow still cast by the death of a sibling at a young age, and you soon end up empathising with half of the family as to why they have a weakness for the booze.
In truth, anything this sprawlingly ambitious should really only end up being a convoluted and conceited mess. Fortunately, thanks to both its strong cast (Jean-Paul Roussillon, Melvil Poupaud, and Chiara Mastroianni also feature) and the writing skills of Mr. Desplechin and Emmanuel Bourdieu, the film instead turns out to be quite a convincing exploration of human frailties, the bitter effects of deeply rooted grief, and how familial ties can be so tremendously durable despite it all. Indeed, you soon begin to suspect that only people who love each other greatly can end up being so contemptuously acidic towards each other. It also shows how many of us seem to regress to child-like behaviour whenever we are around our parents and siblings. For example, watch how Henri stops being so damn petulant when he is alone with Faunia.
“Families”, this film seems to cry, “who would want to belong to one?”
Despite demanding your attention for a gargantuan two-and-a-half hour run-time, this remarkably dense film only drags in a few places. Indeed, one of the beautiful attributes of Mr. Desplechin’s work here is how well A Christmas Tale rewards repeat viewing. Like being a guest at a party full of the host’s family members, it can all seem a bit overwhelming the first time around. However, having broken the ice in this manner, you are at less of a disadvantage during future encounters with them. It also acts as a good seasonal companion piece to Olivier Assayas’ contemporaneous Summer Hours!
No comments:
Post a Comment