Arnaud Desplechin’s whirlwind dramedy doesn’t fully reject Christmas joy, but it does give the undersung holiday traditions of dysfunction and discomfort their time in the spotlight. Starring a formidable French cast, this festive film’s thorny exterior makes way for little glimmers of tender hope.

Mathieu Amalric and Benicio del Toro are brilliant in Arnaud Desplechin’s period piece about the serendipitous pleasures of cross-cultural friendship and the talking cure. Co-written by veteran critic Kent Jones, the chatty characters of this offbeat film tickle both the funny bone and the heart.