Synopsis
In Arnaud Desplechin’s beguiling A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël), Catherine Deneuve brings her legendary poise to the role of Junon, matriarch of the troubled Vuillard family, who come together at Christmas after she learns she needs a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative. That simple family reunion setup, however, can’t begin to describe the unpredictable, emotionally volatile experience of this film, an inventive, magical drama that’s equal parts merriment and melancholy. Unrequited childhood loves and blinding grudges, brutal outbursts and sudden slapstick, music, movies, and poetry, A Christmas Tale ties it all together in a marvelously messy package.
Cast
| Junon | Catherine Deneuve |
| Abel | Jean-Paul Roussillon |
| Henri | Mathieu Amalric |
| Elizabeth | Anne Consigny |
| Ivan | Melvil Poupaud |
| Faunia | Emmanuelle Devos |
| Sylvia | Chiara Mastroianni |
| Paul | Emile Berling |
| Claude | Hippolyte Girardot |
| Simon | Laurent Capelluto |
Credits
| Director | Arnaud Desplechin |
| Screenplay | Arnaud Desplechin and Emmanuel Bourdieu |
| Producer | Pascal Caucheteux |
| Cinematography | Eric Gautier |
| Editing | Laurence Briaud |
| Music | Grégoire Hetzel |
| Production Design | Dan Bevan |
Disc Features
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Arnaud Desplechin
- L’aimée, Desplechin’s 2007 documentary about the selling of his family home
- New documentary featuring interviews with Desplechin and actors Mathieu Amalric and Catherine Deneuve
- Original theatrical trailers
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Philip Lopate
From the Current
THE FANTASTIC MONSIEURS
ANDERSON AND DESPLECHIN
Oct 29, 2009
For the new issue of Interview magazine, Wes Anderson sat down in Paris with another of our favorite contemporary auteurs, Arnaud Desplechin, who interviewed him in anticipation of the November release of Anderson’s...
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