A Christmas Tale: For those Looking for an Alternative Christmas Movie

By Robert Bellissimo

“Desplechin (the film’s Co-Writer & Director) makes longer than normal films because he wants to explore a set of crises and then move beyond them to arrive at some greater wisdom of acceptance. Yes, one goes crazy, he says, or becomes melancholy because life suddenly seems unbearable, but then one gets over it and comes out the other end. That there is another end ranks him finally with the optimists.” – Philip Lopate (Film Critic & Essayist)

How does a dysfunctional family re-connect? Well, Christmas helps and a sick mother, (Junion Vuillard, played by Catherine Deneuve) who needs a bone-marrow transplant from one of her kids or grandkids due to a rare form of Leukemia she was recently diagnosed with.

The French film, A Christmas Tale, lacks any sense of sentimentality. It’s a large cast with a number of subplots, which seemlessly work together to create a rich film. The Vuillard family suffer from past resentments and the painful memory of the oldest child’s death, when he was only a boy, among other things.

One scene struck me as painfully relatable for a lot of dysfunctional families. Everyone arrives at Christmas time, but no one is talking around the dinner table. The father of the family (Abel played by Jean-Paul Roussillon) begins to read out of boredom. This scene, to me, is the essence of the balance of tones that the films strikes. From awkward, to playful, to laughter, to sadness, to anger. The holidays, after all, is a difficult time for many.

The film is less about the mother’s illness and more about mending a broken family. To me, her illness is a metaphor for a family that needs mending. A disease that needs to be treated. Will she live or won’t she? Will the family bond again, or won’t they? The film leaves it to the audience to decide.

The entire cast is incredible. Catherine Deneuve gives an amazing performance as the matriarch of the family. Her bravery and strength in the face of  possible death is inspirational.

If this were a Hollywood film, it likely would not be as rough. It would be simplistic, sentimental and a feel-good holiday film to watch annually. But A Christmas Tale brings you into the harsh realities of a dysfunctional film. It doesn’t shy away from how painful that can be, while also seeing the humour in it.

Christmas is not just joy and presents. It can also be lonely, even if you’re surrounded by supposed loved ones and this film really shows that. After reading this review you may be hesitant to watch it around a time when most people are watching feel-good holiday classics, like Elf and Home Alone. However, if you’re looking for an alternative Christmas film, one that gets to a more varied emotional experience of family and the holidays, than A Christmas Tale is for you.