Christmas Tale 01/17 Blu-ray (Rental)

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. DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Arnaud Desplechin, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack L’aimée, Desplechin’s 2007 documentary about the selling of his family home Arnaud's Tale, a new 35-minute documentary featuring interviews with Desplechin and actors Mathieu Amalric and Catherine Deneuve Original theatrical trailers New and improved English subtitle translation PLUS: A new essay by critic Philip Lopate