Long, dark and hard to follow.
I walked into this movie thinking it would be a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family. Although darkness and dysfunction abounded, it was neither funny nor particularly interesting. That, combined with long moments spent trying to sort out things that weren't made apparent by the badly written dialogue (or maybe things get lost in translation?) shattered the high expectations I had for this film.
"A Christmas Tale" is the type of movie where you sit through all two (yes, well over TWO!) painful hours of it because you know in your heart that because the actors are so brilliant that it must be a really good movie. If I'm really patient, you keep telling yourself, it will start to get better and things are going to all connect in a brilliant way--just as soon as the movie really gets going.
Alas, it never really got going...and finally, mercifully, it was over.