CINEMA: A Christmas Tale

Screwed up, bourgeoise, chain-smoking, spirit-drinking French families – don’t you just love them? Well, not if they are the family depicted in this chaotic, sometimes charming, and sometimes extremely irritating French film that features a Gallic gathering which turns almost gothic.

Junon (Catherine Deneuve) and Abel (Jean-Paul Roussignon) are the matriach and patriach of a sprawling clan once traumatised by the death of their first-born son. Now their three surviving children are gathering for Christmas with assorted husbands, wives and children in tow. Soon, the family home is full to bursting – not just with people, but also with their squabbles, resentments, hatreds and petty jealousies.

The biggest fly in the ointment is middle son Henri (Mathieu Amalric), an alcoholic at war with older sister Elizabeth (Anne Consigny) and intent on making mischief. But in fact, there doesn’t seem to be one ‘normal’ relationship between all of them and although some of the bickering is amusing and the scenes with the children adorable, this is one dysfunctional family you will be more than happy to see the back of come New Year.      Dee Pilgrim