A Christmas film comes with a certain set of expectations but don’t confuse the French with the Americans. With its large cast of characters and multiple storylines, it threatens to be a confusing mess and is more than content to leave things unexplained. Worse still is the application of French logic as applied to morality and family dynamics, excusing or even glorifying behaviors and actions that would be shocking in the US. Yet it’s undeniable a riveting watch, absurdly funny and makes for a wonderful example of just how different the French can be at times.

The Vuillard family in Roubaix reunites for Christmas. The occasion is even more significant when the matriarch Junon is diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. The family has emotional baggage as well. The couple’s first child Joseph died of leukemia at the age of 6 despite trying to have another child who would be able to be a compatible donor. Then six years ago, Elizabeth the now eldest child, saved her younger brother Henri from bankruptcy but imposed a condition of never having to see him ever again, effectively banning him from family gatherings. Now Elizabeth brings her own son Paul who has mental issues but is a viable donor for Junon while she herself is not. The boorish and alcoholic Henri brings a new girlfriend Faunia, while the youngest son Ivan brings his wife Sylvia and their own two sons to the reunion. Also joining them is Simon, a cousin who was raised by the family and works for Abel, the aging patriarch. Henri is initially reluctant to get tested for compatibility as a donor as he professes never to have loved his mother but later relents and turns out to be compatible. Meanwhile Sylvia learns that Simon has always loved her but voluntarily gave way to Ivan.

Not only is there so many things going on in this film, but many of the storytelling touches are so subtle that they’re easy to miss. After the rather clumsy exposition dump at the beginning to relate the family’s tragic backstory about Joseph’s death, one naturally expects it to be central to what unfolds later. Yet the other boot never really drops. Instead the psyche of every member of the family and their relationship to Junon can be said to have been shaped by Joseph’s death. Every once in a while, the shot is framed as if some unseen observer is looking in at the family. It took me a while to realize that it’s likely meant to be Joseph. Then there the small hints that there might be something supernatural going on, like the family in-jokes about an invisible wolf living in the basement and Paul’s mental illness causing him to see the wolf or a seemingly malevolent version of himself in the mirror. You really need to pay attention while watching this and at the same time be accepting of the fact that the details don’t necessarily lead to a larger point, somewhat like real life I suppose.

The French have a famously tolerant attitude to extramarital sex that is on full show here. Not only does it happen right in front of the children, but it’s framed in a way that it’s a kind of justice that they finally have sex. I’m queasy that they’re so open about it even with children who must be too young to understand but the cultural difference sure makes this a fascinating film. It’s also an entertaining and wickedly funny ways. The impulsive Henri often does weird things for seemingly no reason at all and when he gets punched Faunia laughs uproariously, which is a sign that they’re a good match for one another. Henri and Juno’s relationship is so strange and incomprehensible with Junon casually saying that he has never once called her his mother. Yet despite their words, the film suggests that they actually get along rather well and Junon shares some of his playfulness. It’s such a dense film, rich with nuances on every level, that I’m sure there’s much more that I’m missing.

I still think that the opening exposition is awkward and there seems to be a lot of setup for not much payoff. Even as the film strives to avoid blasé sentimentality and having plot points neatly bookended, I’m not convinced that this is how real people would behave. At the same time, this is so very different from what anyone would expect out of a Christmas film that it’s simply delightful.