First of all, a HUGE thanks to the movie critics in Mesquite, Nevada who recommended this for JayFlix.net. This movie is wonderful!
The rest of you, check your catalogs and see if you can get your hands on this wonderful little French delight. I bought mine from Best Buy, so suspect it is available here and there.
This movie is written and directed by Daniele Thompson, who wrote the wonderful "Cousin, Cousine" from the late 80s...another favorite of mine. Once again it explores family dynamics, secrets, passions AND a recipe! Be sure to look at the extras on the DVD because it's there! The recipe is for, what we here in the U.S. would call a chocolate jelly roll! (I think that it is the eponymous "Buche" of the title.) The chocolate filling is the only part I'll have to try once or twice, but with all that heavy cream, I guess I'd better not try it much more than that. Yum!
I don't think I need to tell you about the story, just get the movie and enjoy the repast! I will tell you that just before Christmas, a man dies. The movie begins with his funeral. His widow hasn't told his FIRST wife of his death, so his cell phone starts to ring as he is being lowered into his grave. You can take it from there...
The actress who plays a daughter who performs for a living at the Russian nightclub is terrific. She sings Russian songs ...in Russian...and convinced me that she is really the one doing it - no lip synching! I suspected that only our American DVD featured Dean Martin's Christmas music, but no, his is the name in the original credits, so I guess the French like HIM, too...not just Jerry Lewis.
I was so involved in this story that I could hardly pause it long enough to make a pit stop! I really, really love, love, loved this movie. Appealing actors, involving story, great comic moments, clever dialogue, this movie is poignant and memorable.