At the end of 2008, two of my favorite critics (Andrew O'Heir from Salon and Dana Stevens from Slate) named Arnaud Desplechin’s A Christmas Tale as the best film of the year, and as a result I was very eager to see it. I recently got a copy of the Criterion Collection edition of the film starring the legendary Catherine Deneuve among others. It did not disappoint, however, I might not rate it as highly as those critics. It is the tale of a charming upper middle class family coming together at Christmas. It is not exactly realistic but steeped in realism. I found some of the interaction unrealistic, but entertaining nonetheless. For example, one of the standout performances of Henri (played by Mathieu Amalric) the ne’er-do-well middle son seemed charming rather than malevolent. As did the seemingly cold relationship between Henri and his mother to whom he donates bone marrow for her cancer. It is a beautiful and charming film with plenty of wonderful images throughout. The Criterion Collection edition includes a documentary by Desplechin about the sale of the family home, a documentary about the making of the film, and an essay by critic Phillip Lopate.
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I think A Christmas Story is a must watch every year and I still laugh!! I love, love, love The Polar Express!!
Posted by: Hampers | January 29, 2010 at 08:38 PM