"A Christmas Tale" unfolds like a novel, which is to say the drama tells its various stories with great deliberation and with a somewhat leisurely pace.

As a result, the French fable is sure to polarize audiences. Some may find the 2 1/2-hour movie too long and self-indulgent. The characters aren't really the most likable, either.

But the fact that audiences will have to read subtitles — unless they speak French fluently — only furthers the "literary" feel of the work. And the film is not without its charms, especially the performances of its first-rate cast.

Veteran Gallic actors Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon star as Junon and Abel, the heads of the Vuillard family.

To say its members don't get along is putting it mildly. In fact, something in their past has caused responsible oldest Vuillard daughter, Elizabeth (Anne Consigny), to have her ne'er-do-well brother, Henri (Mathieu Amalric), banished.

However, those fences may have to be mended when Junon is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The only form of treatment requires a bone marrow donor, which would have to come from someone inside the family.

So, some of the younger Vuillard family members come up with a scheme to get the feuding siblings together over the holidays — and to get them to take the required medical tests.

Filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin ("Kings and Queens") and his co-screenwriter Emmanuel Mourdieu have created something that is rich with characters and themes.

And Amalric (the villain of "Quantum of Solace") is always a fascinating presence. Even when we're supposed to hate his slimy character, he still holds our interest.

They are less successful when it comes to the romantic squabbling between youngest son Ivan (Melvil Poupaud) and his wife (Chiara Mastroianni), though. Also, it's a little difficult to believe that someone as radiant as Deneuve still is would be married to the froggy-looking Roussillon.

"A Christmas Tale" is not rated but would probably receive an R for strong sexual language (profanity, crude slang terms and other suggestive talk), drug content (use of hypodermic needles), a brief sex scene and other sexual contact, brief violence (a scuffle), glimpses of nude paintings and a brief gory image. Running time: 152 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com