Watch La Buche

The holidays are trying, even for the happiest of families. The French comedy La Buche takes seasonal anxiety and dysfunction to a new level. The plot point is simple, though its unfolding is not. A family gathers at the funeral of the mother’s second husband, which occurs before Christmas. The three daughters from the mother’s first marriage are invited to spend the holiday at home. All, however, dread the visit as the date brings up painful and unresolved feelings and memories. This is a rare, holiday-themed film that manages to capture the complex feelings forced gaiety can evoke.