Every year, TIFF brings our delightful city a wide variety of delicious French films to savor and this year was no exception with over 35 interesting films from France to choose from.

Writer and director Arnaud Desplechin returned to the festival this year after debuting Comment Je Me Suis Disputé…(Ma Vie Sexuelle) in 1996, to show his new unconventional Christmas tale Un Conte de Noël. This dramatic and tense film was at times uncomfortable to watch, even for a French film. Sibling rivalry, mental illness, death, alcoholism and degenerative cancer do not a merry holiday film make – but in true French fashion – a heartfelt, captivating and profoundly moving film is made from an unlikely mix of ingredients along with a sensational group of actors with raw talent and great screen presence.

Catherine Deneuve portrays the leading matriarch figure Junon,with great ease and comfort and immediately draws you in to her troubled life and looming tragic fate. She is somehow luminescent and graceful in every scene, despite the fact that she is surrounded by a messy web of dysfunction and clothed in a less than glamorous wardrobe. But her ever-perfectly styled hair, flawless skin and undeniable elegance are still trademarks for the famous French actress today. It’s no wonder she has been a muse for the late French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, the face of Chanel No. 5 and L’Oréal Paris, and a model for Louis Vuitton. Bien sur, Catherine Deneuve still has a sparkle that burns brighter than ever at age 64.

It definitely won’t get you in a joyeux mood for Christmas, but it might make you want to call your mama or get in touch with your long-lost brother.