A Christmas Tale - International Film Festival (Civic Theatre)

NZ International Film Festival - Auckland 9-26 July 2009
http://nzff.co.nz...

Date: Sat 11 Jul 2009
Meetup time: 3.00pm
Meetup place: I'll be in Stark's bar http://www.starks.co.... (next door to Civic) between 3.00-3.30pm or txt me 0272750083
Film start time: 3.45pm

A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël) – 3.45pm Sat 11 Jul
In French with English subtitles
Running time: 150 mins
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Year: 2008
With: Catherine Deneuve (Junon), Jean-Paul Roussillon (Abel), Anne Consigny (Elizabeth), Mathieu Amalric (Henri), Melvil Poupard (Ivan), Hippolyte Girardot (Claude), Emmanuelle Devos (Faunia), Chiara Mastroianni (Sylvia), Laurent Capelluto (Simon)
Festivals: Cannes (In Competition), Toronto, New York, Vancouver, London 2008
SYNOPSIS
It may sound formulaic, but this drama of a sprawling fractious three-generational family Christmas abounds with character, wit and the filmmaker's delight in the profusion and perversity of family ties. — BG
“Out of the most ordinary ingredients – an ailing mother, estranged adult siblings, a good meal ruined by bad behavior – the endlessly inventive French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin has made the old look fresh in A Christmas Tale, his glorious, compacted Russian novel of a movie. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Junon, the matriarch of this sharply drawn clan, is played with crafty authority by Catherine Deneuve. And it's a plus that Junon's three grown children are elegantly fleshed out by leading French stars Anne Consigny (as Elizabeth, the bitter eldest), protean Mathieu Amalric (as Henri, the black sheep), and Melvil Poupaud (as Ivan, the conciliatory youngest). The reunion is also attended by Desplechin's irresistible Kings and Queen lead Emmanuelle Devos, who nearly steals the show as Henri's bemused girlfriend, and by Deneuve's own daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, who neatly holds her own as a less-than-favorite daughter-in-law.
Junon has been diagnosed with leukemia, and the search for a compatible blood donor for a risky medical procedure takes up a fair amount of discussion in Desplechin's uncompromisingly bright, intellectually inquisitive script. But that talk – as well as snatches of literature and journals read aloud, dreams recounted, memories revisited, and an amateur theatrical production staged by Junon's little grandsons – is why we love this party in the first place... The movie is enchanting.” — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Payment options
I plan to see at least 9 festival films and will be pre-paying all of them (Option 1). As usual, the seats are allocated and there is the potential to miss out if not booked/paid for in advance. EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Book before July 9 and pay $14.00 for adult tickets to A-coded sessions. (normal price $15.00). Ticketing service fees will apply. Check out the festival site for the cheap parking special deal.

I will be setting the RSVPs for Friday 3 July with the following payment options:
Option 1: RSVP & Pre-purchase all films (and get a discount). Meet me outside the main entrance of the Civic theatre on Saturday, 4 July and we can purchase tickets to all the films from the theatre’s ticket counters – this way we can be seated together! I thought some time after 1.00pm but I’m flexible so long as everyone can agree on the time.
Option 2: RSVP & make your own payment arrangements. There are a number of payment options set out in the NZFF guide e.g. via internet. You’re more than welcome to take this option – chances are that we won’t be seated together but you can still meet me at the specified meet up time and place prior to the start of the film.
Option 3: Don’t RSVP and show up on the day. Can’t decide or don’t want to plan ahead? No problem! Meet me at the specified meet up time and place prior to the start of the film and see if there are still tickets available – you’ll probably be seated elsewhere in the theatre though.

Please let me know which option you are going for when you RSVP, thanks.