I was not prepared for the two and a half hour run time: my own fault. On IMDB the review i can see complains about the length and the tedium: i don’t think i could convince someone otherwise.

But oh, what a rich intense film! It’s beautiful, incredibly existential, intricate in the family dynamics.

While what is broken is not made whole, a healing occurs. It’s elegant and subtle.

Arnaud Desplechin’s Un Conte de Noël (A Christmas Story) is filled with characters and moments that are unforgettable. The characters aren’t neccessarily likable, but they are fascinating to watch. Desplechin weaves an intricate plot that pulls the characters together at Christmas. The matriarch played by Catherine Deneuve finds out that she is has cancer that could be fought with a transplant from someone in her family. But with his trademark bold style, it’s not a melodrama about fighting cancer, but about the tensions, battles and triumphs that happen within the family. It was a bit confusing at first, but as I kept watching the film more pieces start to fit together and I absolutely loved it.