A Christmas Tale

Although she's one of the screen's great beauties, Catherine Deneuve was never just a pretty face: even as a young woman, she gave substantive performances, enhancing her physical luminosity with obvious passion and intelligence. Deneuve's ability hasn't dimmed with the passing of years, and in director Arnaud Desplechin's blackly hilarious tale—which may well become the ultimate Christmas movie for people who hate Christmas movies—she's nothing short of brilliant. The story unfolds in the decrepit French country house of a wildly dysfunctional family, headed up by matriarch Junon Vuillard (Deneuve), who is terminally ill and can only be saved by a bone-marrow transplant. Her long-suffering husband Abel (Jean-Paul Roussillon) and adult children are small comfort as the holiday approaches, especially since Junon's most likely donor is her schizophrenic teenage grandson, and her daughter-in-law has just uncovered a long-buried family secret. The humor is dark, cynical, and borderline sadistic, focusing laser-like on the weaknesses and imperfections of the characters, but that's what makes this film so deliciously clever and biting. Viewers won't find schmaltz in this Christmas tale, which Deneuve anchors beautifully while still allowing her fellow players their respective moments to shine. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin's 2007 documentary “L'aimee” about the sale of his family home (66 min.), an “Arnaud's Tale” making-of featurette including interviews with costars Mathieu Amalric and Catherine Deneuve (36 min.), trailers, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an excellent foreign film.] (E. Hulse)