A Christmas Tale

May 21, 2008

2h 32m

★ 6.8

The dilemma. The reunion

Overview

When their regal matriarch falls ill, the troubled Vuillard family come together for a hesitant Christmastime reunion. Among them is rebellious ne'er-do-well Henri and the uptight Elizabeth. Together under the same roof for the first time in many years, their intricate, long denied resentments and yearnings emerge again.

Genres

Comedy

Drama

Production Companies

Why Not Productions

France 2 Cinéma

Wild Bunch

Bac Films

A Christmas Tale Trailers

Cast

Junon

Catherine Deneuve

Abel

Jean-Paul Roussillon

Elisabeth

Anne Consigny

Henri

Mathieu Amalric

Sylvia

Chiara Mastroianni

Ivan

Melvil Poupaud

Faunia

Emmanuelle Devos

Claude Dédalus

Hippolyte Girardot

Simon

Laurent Capelluto

Paul Dédalus

Émile Berling

Rosaimée Vuillard

Françoise Bertin

Spatafora

Samir Guesmi

Working-class British housewife Myra Savage reinvents herself as a medium, holding seances in the sitting room of her home with the hidden assistance of her under-employed, asthmatic husband, Billy. In an attempt to enhance her credibility as a psychic, Myra hatches an elaborate, ill-conceived plot to kidnap a wealthy couple's young daughter so that she can then help the police "find" the missing girl.

7.1

A Star Is Born

Oct 1, 1954

A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.

6.5

Single All the Way

Dec 2, 2021

Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James, the plan goes awry.

6.1

Under Capricorn

Sep 8, 1949

A native Briton banished to Australia for murder, and his wife, Henrietta, the disturbed sister of the man he was convicted on killing, set out to help her conquer her demons and return her life to normal.

7.5

The Thin Man

May 25, 1934

A husband and wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts.

2.6

All the Best

Dec 8, 2016

A disillusioned opera star, a lonely pastry chef, and a divorced Don Juan with an amorous history offstage make for choice ingredients in this poignant romantic tale spiced with Christmas cookies, borscht, and an alarming quantity of deadly insecticide. Director Tribuson demonstrates a deft talent for juggling comic romantic disasters from a woman’s point of view as her characters negotiate the bamboozling ways of love. Middle-aged Verica (acclaimed actress Marinković) pours her heart into her café’s pastries, but she can’t seem to find a like-minded lover until a duplicitous handyman with pheromones to spare and an eye for the ladies sets off a chain of unforeseen adventures all tied together by one fateful plate of tasty treats.

6.7

Reflections

Feb 1, 1987

Mihajlo, an introvert piano teacher starts romance with a pretty careerist who teaches modeling at the university in Belgrade where they both work. His feelings are awakened after a long period, but this relationship makes him see the flashbacks, as well as yet unseen images that remind him of his troubled childhood - as if he experienced this already. When their university wins a contest to hold public TV performance, Mihailo fails to play the piano on the decisive night and she dumps him. The boiling point is about to come.

7.6

Girl, Interrupted

Dec 21, 1999

Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, Susanna Kaysen's prescribed "short rest" from a psychiatrist she had met only once becomes a strange, unknown journey into Alice's Wonderland, where she struggles with the thin line between normal and crazy. Susanna soon realizes how hard it is to get out once she has been committed, and she ultimately has to choose between the world of people who belong inside or the difficult world of reality outside.

6.5

Calling Dr. Gillespie

Aug 1, 1942

Dr. Kildare's friend Dr. Gillespie is called in to investigate when a young man suffering from mental problems disappears on a killing spree.

6.6

A Christmas Masquerade

Nov 6, 2022

When Julieanne is mistaken for her boss at a Masquerade ball by a businessman, she continues the ruse over Christmas. Her mission is to secure him as a client. When his own motivations are revealed, they both realize, it just might be love.

5.3

Mistletoe Match

Dec 3, 2022

This Christmas, Olivia Hayes goes undercover to provide her readers with an in-depth (and cynical!) look at the hugely successful annual Secret Santa for Singles event. There, she meets single dad and handsome widower Thomas who is just as skeptical about the programme as she is. Sparks soon fly, but with a once in a lifetime promotion on the line, will she risk losing it all for the romance she never saw coming?

6.4

The Christmas Retreat

Dec 29, 2022

When Kim's boyfriend breaks up with her instead of proposing, Kim's mom takes her away to a Christmas Retreat to reconnect with the spirit of the holiday. There she meets newly unemployed Mark.

6.1

Single and Ready to Jingle

Nov 27, 2022

Emma Warner feels like she lives Christmas year-round. As SVP at a toy company, she has had a great year with the season’s most successful toy but she is exhausted. All she wants is a non-holiday vacation with hot guys and a beach. Her assistant books her a flight to St. Johns but she ends up on the wrong plane and lands in St. Johns, Alaska, a town that goes all out for Christmas. Local holiday hero, Connor is stuck dealing with Emma who he considers a scrooge until her childhood Christmas memories thaw her to this town and to Connor.

7.1

The Holiday

Dec 5, 2006

Two women, one American and one British, swap homes at Christmastime following bad breakups. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.

8.3

It's a Wonderful Life

Dec 20, 1946

A holiday favourite for generations... George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.