Room (2015)

Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson
Country: Canada / Ireland

Movie Review: Brie Larson, who had already impressed me in “Short Term 12”, gives a spectacular performance, together with the young Jacob Tremblay, in the suspenseful drama “Room”, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (“Frank”) from a screenplay by Emma Donoghue based on her own 2010 international best-seller novel of the same name. The story follows a protective, caring mother, Joy (Larson), and her sensitive five-year-old son, Jack (Tremblay), whose lives are limited to a small space that they call room. The room is actually a shed, placed in a desolated backyard and well protected with a code lock system, which is owned by a man known as Red Nick, who seven years before had abducted Joy, confining her to a life of forced imprisonment. So, it’s easy to conclude that Jack is his son. The scoundrel father, who doesn’t have a job and only appears occasionally to bring food and sleep with the hapless woman, never has any contact with his son who is kept in a wardrobe until he leaves. The minimum accidental interaction between them leaves Joy out of control, in a raging effort to protect her precious son from the predator. The tiny room is actually the real world for Jack, whose unique contact with the exterior is through an old TV that is turned on whenever the power is available. His mother has told him that everything he sees on the TV is imagination and that beyond the room there’s just the outer space. Now that Jack, whose long hair made me easily mistaken him as a girl, turned 5, his mother decided to tell him the truth about the outside world, which naturally provokes confusion and apprehension. In addition, she engenders a risky plan to set Jack free and ask for help. The plan is consummated, however, the outside world is not the paradise she thought it would be, starting with the refusal of her own father in accepting Jack as his genuine grandson. A terrible depression takes care of this psychologically affected woman who does the best she can to hold onto life. For the film’s benefit, the mother/son relationship is depicted in a very strong way, a fundamental aspect that Abrahamson assures to extract from the performances, which are unquestionably Oscar-worthy. “Room” is an honest portrait of a terrible, abusive case, which reminds us a few real cases that have been disclosed by the media. Infused with confidence and narrative tightness, the film is not only gripping but also touching, and after two well-spent hours (time flies here, which is a good sign), it will leave you cogitating on the matter.

Tu Dors Nicole (2014)

Directed by: Stéphane Lafleur
Country: Canada

Movie Review: One of the most wonderful surprises of this year is undoubtedly the Canadian drama “Tu Dors Nicole”, which has much to be appreciated. Exhibiting indolent tones and a leisured pace, the film grabbed me in a very satisfying way both in terms of script, whose creativity, spontaneity and even some surrealistic elements (like a kid talking with an absurdly deep voice) successfully enraptured me, and in terms of the engrossing black-and-white visuals, which were capable of making me feel the warm breeze and the relaxed ‘dolce fare niente’ of the summertime in a quiet, small Quebecois town. Julianne Côté, whose outstanding performance deserves all the accolade she can get, embodies Nicole, a young student who seems to be enjoying her time alone at home, a consequence of her parents’ absence for a prolonged vacation. The scene that first introduces her is illuminating - when she wakes up in the bed of a guy and responds in an indifferent manner to his question if they’re going to see each other again. Back at home, she receives a phone call from her father, reminding her of the home tasks to be completed, and finds an envelope in the mailbox with a credit card in her name. What a joy! This was exactly what she needed to fight the boredom of the hot days, mostly spent doing nothing special in the company of her best friend, Veronique (Catherine St-Laurent). Both are planning to leave their fastidious jobs and make a trip to Iceland, an idea that is reinforced when Nicole’s contentious brother, Remi (Marc-André Grondin), suddenly appears at home, bringing his longtime pal, Pat (Simon Larouche), and a new friend, the flirtatious JF (Francis La Haye), respectively bassist and drummer of his indie rock trio, to rehearsal. The multiple interactions among these characters suddenly change the airs from undisturbed to weighty. Directed with delicacy, intelligence, and insight by Stéphane Lafleur, who completely avoids one-dimensional characters, “Tu Dors Nicole” has this sort of mood that many emerging directors would like to bring into their cinema. It’s so effective and simple in its processes, so mature in depicting the human relationships, and so deliciously funny in its sometimes-offbeat posture and dialogue, that the result is an extraordinary modern gem not to be missed.

The Forbidden Room (2015)

Directed by: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Don't expect anything linear when it comes out of the insubordinate, tortuous mind of the Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Maddin, who in his last sumptuously demented tale, “The Forbidden Room”, had the contribution of the newcomer Evan Johnson as co-writer and co-director. As in the majority of his past works, the film masterfully evokes the black-and-white silent classics and Technicolor fantasies in order to create a layered story that despite the numerous sinister characters and baffling interactions among them, can be summarized as a man desperately looking for a woman. A jocose spirit is present since its very beginning when a man wearing a robe discourses about how to take a bath. This hilarious little dissertation leads us to the central story – Cesare, a courageous woodsman, mysteriously appears aboard of a submarine that is condemned to explode. He’s looking for his kidnaped love, Margot, now an amnesiac prisoner of The Wolf who is kept in a nauseating cave. This main story breaks into multiple inventive fragments that entangle one another with more or less complexity, but which can be easily remembered by their own. They’re all bizarre with no exceptions, yet two sections are particularly mesmerizing: one involving a man identified as The Dead Father, whose mustache is of crucial importance to maintain his family in an emotionally controlled state when he plans to abandon them, and another, in which a woman called Gong had to be subjected to a gut-wrenching re-break of her bones in order to fix them correctly. The casting includes reputable international actors such as Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Rampling, Udo Kier, Geraldine Chaplin, Maria de Medeiros, Jacques Nolot, Roy Dupuis, Clara Furey, and the recurrent Louis Negin. Near the ending, the inscrutable Mr. Maddin reveals the solution for the perplexing cinema he’s been digging in for more than two decades. He tells us with every word about the stuff his films are made of: dreams / visions / madness. With “The Forbidden Room”, Maddin’s fans will continue to rejoice while a few new followers can be dragged into the cult.

Turbo Kid (2015)

Directed by: François Simard /Anouk and Yoann-Karl Whissell
Country: Canada / New Zealand

Movie Review: “Turbo Kid” is an expeditiously diverting Canadian actioner that rekindles the adventurous spirit of “Indiana Jones”, the post-apocalyptic eccentricity of “Mad Max”, and the gory feast of Japanese action flicks. It’s undoubtedly a film of excesses, however, its vigorous pace, tasteful imagery and score evoking the 80’s, a diversity of props that enrich the rambunctious atmosphere, and finally, a throbbing, creative script that has much amusement to offer, provides a wonderful time punctuated with a few good laughs to the viewers who dare to embark on this insanely radical fun ride. The story takes place in futuristic 1997 in a wrecked uncertain place known as the Wasteland. The Kid (Munro Chambers), protected by his helmet and a couple of vital survival rules, rides his bike, scavenging old stuff, now seen as precious, that he trades afterwards for a minimal portion of water. At the bar where the trader can be found, he admires Frederic (Aaron Jeffery), a sharp-tongued arm-wrestling champion whose brother disappeared after being captured by the sanguinary savages of Zeus (Michael Ironside), a loathsome one-eyed ruler who affirms he has ‘eyes’ everywhere and takes his time inventing abominable ways of torturing people. In the meantime, in one of his scavenges, the Kid bumps into the apparently effusive Apple (Laurence Leboeuf), a pink-haired teenager who was speaking to the cadaver of a friend and almost forces the Kid to accept her as a daily companion. A genuinely sweet romance starts to take shape, but during the desperate attempt of escaping from one of the Zeus’ vassals, Apple is captured while the Kid is granted with a special superpower when engulfed by a hidden trapdoor. At this point, the Kid fearlessly saves Apple, who unveils a secret of her own, and together they team with Frederic in the battle against the evil. Kids should stay away from “Turbo Kid”, an enthralling adventure for adults that sometimes feels disgusting and yet effectively ingenious. The newcomer trio of writers/directors known as RKSS Collective, despite the blood overdose, did an exceptional job.

Guidance (2014)

Directed by: Pat Mills
Country: Canada

Movie Review: This newly discovered offbeat comedy about a psychologically disturbed former actor, who decides to help problematic teenagers at Grusin High, is the first full-length feature from Canadian Pat Mills, who also stars as the main character. He confidently plays his alter ego, David Gold, who was a promising TV star in his childhood, but completely forgotten in his adulthood. He doesn’t have an acting role for so long that he decides to apply for a school guidance counselor job under the stolen identity of Dr. Roland Brown, whom he studied thoroughly. Moreover, the sudden, direct, insolent, and occasionally furious David, who was also diagnosed with skin cancer, has serious problems with alcohol, exhibits immoral behaviors, and still lives in a stubborn denial about his gay sexuality, even with the insistence on peeing sitting down. Besides all this, he’s completely broke and on the verge of being evicted by the ‘mean’ landlady who gives him 13 days to pay the rent. The few relatives whom he still maintains contact think he’s an embarrassment, and David spends his lonely days in a depressive mood that he fights by repeating to himself: ‘I have a high self-esteem’, ‘I’m well-adjusted’, or ‘I have a healthy body and mind’. For a brief idea of his operation method with the teen students, let me tell you that, first he starts with a few shots of vodka (to break the ice), before giving his personal advice and/or breaking the rules with them. He allows himself to smoke pot with the student who was expelled for selling pot, to bully the bullies, or to encourage the fat to be fatter and the slut to continue being a slut. This way, the new counselor becomes an idol for the teens and a curiosity for the colleagues, especially the gym teacher who stalks him. By the end, in the peak of his madness, he runs away with Gabrielle, a dyslexic and physically abused student who has a crush on him. They steal a car and rob several tanning salons before he becomes aware of the ‘beginning of his real self’. The very personal and sarcastic “Guidance” is cynical in the good sense, and Mr. Mills is officially authorized to return to the screens.

Aloft (2014)

Directed by: Claudia Llosa
Country: Canada / Spain / others

Movie Review: Claudia Llosa, the extremely gifted Peruvian filmmaker, whose previous films, “Madeinusa” and “The Milk of Sorrow”, cast some sort of a dazzling spell on me, returns with a permissive drama, “Aloft”, her first English-language film with a few minutes of French, completely shot outside her country - Manitoba, Canada was the chosen place. Set in the Arctic Circle, this is the story of Nana Kunning (Jennifer Connelly), a woman with healing powers who abandoned her son, Ivan (Cillian Murphy), 20 years ago, right after he has been responsible for the death of his gravely ill younger brother in a terrible accident. Nana became a renowned artist and healer while Ivan, left to his own luck with no explanation, followed his passion for birds of prey and became a falconer. The arrival of a journalist, Jannia Rassmore (Mélanie Laurent), who is trying to cope with her own health problems, will provide an opportunity for mother and son reunite again after so many years apart. Soft in its procedures and packed with boring routines and inconsequent romance, “Aloft” was never capable of attaining something distinguishable. The melodrama and the characters are so lifeless and uninspiring that along its first half I had already given my time as wasted. I felt sorry for Llosa since I’m aware of her capabilities. The problem here wasn’t the direction, or the cast, or anything else but the script, whose obstacles are so notorious that it is almost impossible to connect with what the movie is trying to tell us. The icy landscapes and the tolerable performances end up being the less critical aspects in a film whose pretentious enactment was already doomed by a troublingly insecure plot. This is one of those cases we wish the director had never left his roots.

Big Muddy (2014)

Directed by: Jefferson Moneo
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Debutant director Jefferson Moneo falls short in his inglorious attempt to turn “Big Muddy” (based on his 2011 short film) into a memorable neo-noir thriller with glimpses of western. Amid the many reasons that contributed to its non-accomplishment, we can point as the most determinant: an overfamiliar plot that was also disjointed, inexpressively dry characters, and a dismal approach. Probing a troubled family with a lot to clear up, both in the past and present, the film opens with an ireful man shooting two cops in the woods after escaping prison. Donovan is the fugitive, and his most probable next move is to look for Martha Barlow, the mother of his teenage son, Andy. The misunderstood Martha is a horse connoisseur turned outlaw, being involved in a series of violent robberies perpetrated in the company of her immature, jealous boyfriend, Tommy. Evidently, she’s not an example to be followed by Andy, who will confirm a sort of bad seed cursing the family; beyond stealing money from his mother, he shows no remorse when pulling the trigger on Buck Corber, Martha’s dodger former lover. The latter had already finished Tommy off, after having been hoodwinked by him in the most ludicrous scene of the film. Martha sees no other possibility beyond fleeing to Big Muddy and ask her estranged father for shelter. The confused Andy is the one who doesn’t know exactly what to do when he finds himself between a father who wants his family back and a grandfather who wants to teach him how hard is being a farmer. The title Big Muddle would have fit better, and not even the shootout scenes put away our enervation. Leaving much to be explained, especially concerning the characters’ past, Mr. Moneo’s writing would benefit if more definite and diligent toward a tight storytelling.

Backcountry (2014)

Directed by: Adam MacDonald
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Adam MacDonald’s directorial debut feature is a credible, tense indie thriller, based on true events, that realistically explores the misadventures of a passionate urban couple in the Canadian wilderness. Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenn (Missy Peregrym) agree to go on a relaxing weekend trip into the nature, spending some well deserved time together, surrounded by sky, trees, and waterfalls. Convinced he knows pretty well where he was going, and planning on proposing to her, Alex lost the track for his route. Horrified, the couple finds themselves lost in the territory of a threatening black bear, without a map or cell phone. Even before that, Mr. MacDonald tries to distract us with the appearance of a suspicious stranger whose talk and behavior caused some uneasiness. In a first stage, the film relies on common strategies, playing with disturbing noises where the silence reigns, and tenuous lights upon the darkness. These preparations last almost an hour, with Jenn’s facial expression suggesting she was premeditating something harmful, especially whenever they had to opt for a direction. When the bear effectively attacks, we are shaken by the powerful, shocking images that convey a genuine sensation of terror. Alex, completely disfigured, ends up being meat dish for the avid bear, while Jenn is abandoned to her own luck, trying to follow her surviving instincts. “Backcountry” doesn’t really break new ground, however, its story is solidly built to a crescendo, what is another point in favor. It’s as if we wanted the story to come to an end, finishing with the agony, and at the same time keep on watching more. The score by Fréres Lumiéres was adequate for each situation while cinematographer Christian Bielz did a nice job.

Mommy (2014)

Directed by: Xavier Dolan
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “Mommy” proves that there’s a young Canadian filmmaker out there named Xavier Dolan who has a lot to give to contemporary cinema. His past dramas evinced a strong sexuality component associated to homosexuality, but “Mommy” can be seen as a slight change of direction, maintaining however the high dramatic levels of its predecessors. The story follows Diane Després (Anne Dorval), a widower who gets his hyperactive 16 year-old son, Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), back from a juvenile center for troubled youths, after he has set the cafeteria on fire causing a lot of material and human damages. Steve is plagued with frequent raging attacks that not even his mother, the person he cherishes most, is completely immune. The relationship between them is closer to brother and sister than mother and son, and Diane doesn’t seem to have the ability or strength to deal with her son’s unpredictable behavior. When the situation seemed out of control, some hope rises in the horizon when Kyla (Suzanne Clément), a teacher in a forced sabbatical leave, answers affirmatively to Diane’s call for help, giving the desirable assistance that she needed to handle Steve. Not without some manipulation, “Mommy” still presents an enormous emotional weight, for which contributed the superb performances by the trio of actors. How artful from Dolan setting up a sequence of mesmerizing, unfocused images to mirror Diane’s dream of hope for the future, to suddenly discontinue it with a painful reality that would lead us to a devastating finale. Elaborated at a vehement pace, “Mommy is also visually bold, making use of empathic close-ups and expressive detailed scenes, beautifully shot, in its majority, in a non-standard square ratio of 1:1.

Mourning Has Broken (2014)

Directed by: Brett and Jason Butler
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “Mourning Has Broken” is a micro-budgeted independent comedy drama that comes from Canada by the hand of the Butler Brothers - writers, directors, producers and editors. Despite the efforts to succeed and the good performance of Robert Nolan, “Mourning Has Broken” seemed a montage of little situations that were never sufficient to draw my attention. The story follows a man who realizes his wife his dead next to him, on their bed. Mourning is never easy and Nolan’s character found a particular way to deal with the matter. Uncontrolled and ravaging, he starts long monologues while driving mad, as well as confronting everyone around him who are misbehaving. A few situations have to do with his car – being nagged by a neighbor while washing it; provoking a woman while was parked in her private spot; getting a ticket while trying to buy a red velvet cake; tying up a mechanic who wanted to rip him off. Among these and other situations, the peak comes when he decides to get up on the stage of a movie theater and report what he thinks about respecting the silence in the site. It’s very appreciated what the Butlers tried to do in “Mourning Has Broken”, taking into account the financing struggle, but the film was never particularly funny, deep, or even satisfyingly conclusive to be a reference. The husband’s mourning, based on silly moves and crack-brained attitudes, soon became more irritating than righteous, in a black dramedy where the narrative was always superior to the visuals.

Gabrielle (2013)

Directed by: Louise Archambault
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “Gabrielle” tries to celebrate love and hope, while depicts the story of the title character, a special woman suffering from Williams syndrome who seeks for a questionable independence. Mentally challenged and diabetic, yet effusively happy, 22-year-old Gabrielle is in love with Martin, her colleague in the recreation center where they are rehearsing with a choir of people in the same conditions, in order to perform with the famous Quebecois singer, Robert Charlebois. When they are caught half-naked in a party given at the center, a meeting is promptly scheduled to clarify that the rules are strict. In the meeting were present Gabrielle’s beloved sister, Sophie, who are renitent in going to India with her boyfriend, and Martin’s ultra protective mother who forbids her son to see Gabrielle again. From this moment on, both will see their limitative conditions get worse due to sadness, but fate will get them together in the final concert. With an appreciable direction and some charm, “Gabrielle” should please the fans of heartwarming dramas with its sensibility, even considering the musical moments overextended and the story occasionally too sweet in certain scenes. The urge for love is perfectly achieved by Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, an actress who has Williams syndrome in real life and sings in a similar choir in Montreal. The questions on how to protect these people, giving them the freedom and opportunities they deserve, and how their condition affects the ones around them, were put on the table with pertinence in this sophomore feature film from Louise Archambault.

Miraculum (2014)

Directed by: Daniel Grou
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “Miraculum” was conceived by two minds utterly connected to Canadian TV series: Gabriel Sabourin, actor and writer, and Daniel Grou, the director. However, this wasn’t the first time that the two collaborators work in feature film, and “Miraculum” diverged from that format for its own good. The celebration of love, the end of love, religious fanaticism, and even hope, are presented with a cheerless posture. All of these aspects were coordinated with an imminent fatalism, turning it into a pertinent, reflective exercise, which in the impossibility of surprising us in its whole, was capable of sparking the debate about Jehovah’s witnesses beliefs, the difficulty of making irreversible decisions, and the mysteries of fate. The multi-narrative encompasses eight different people, who momentarily interconnect – Etienne, slowly dying of leukemia, refuses to receive blood in accordance with the strict principles of his Jehovah family, while his girlfriend breaks the rule; a man who returns from Venezuela loaded with drugs inside him and eager to meet with his young niece with whom he has a strong bond; an elderly couple, both employees in a casino, who leave their marriages behind to embark in a life together; a powerful businessman, lost in his addiction for gambling, is left for good by his alcoholic wife. Structured in an involving way and demonstrating well-controlled camera movements, this cerebral drama counts with the actor, writer and director, Xavier Dolan, in its powerful ensemble cast. Though not every little story (and character) has the same impact, “Miraculum” still provides us with a few thoughtful moments.

Tom at the Farm (2013)

Directed by: Xavier Dolan
Country: Canada / France

Movie Review: Ambitious Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan, directly associated with queer cinema (“I Killed my Mother”, “Heartbeats”, “Laurence Anyways”), has in “Tom at the Farm” his first exercise on thriller with mixed results. It’s undeniable that Dolan is a very talented man, considering that he also stars as the main character (not a novelty) and was responsible for the adaptation of Michel Marc Bouchard’s novel, production and editing. The issue is that the good and the bad alternate constantly. While some scenes were capable to surprise or even intrigue me, other seemed completely forced and unbalanced. Coming from Montreal, Tom arrives at a farm in the countryside to attend to the funeral of his lover, Guillaume. For his surprise, Gullaume’s mother, Agathe, wasn’t aware of his son’s sexual orientation, while his frustrated brother, Francis, tries everything to show who’s the boss around, making Tom extremely uncomfortable. Entering in a dangerous game that was much defiant and abusive, Francis, shows a sort of perversion difficult to decipher, while Tom acts like a scared sensible child. To complicate more the situation, Sarah, the woman who the family always thought to be Guillaume’s girlfriend, arrives at the farm. With a keen photography and not rare big close-ups to penetrate in the characters’ innermost souls, “Tom at the Farm” is a tragicomic thriller that still may have something to be enjoyed, despite the flaws and lack of a real climax.

Whitewash (2013)

Directed by: Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Canadian actor Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais has in “Whitewash” his directorial debut, a thriller that didn’t thrill me at all. Set in the extremely cold Quebec, the story follows Bruce (Thomas Haden Church), a snowplow operator with a problematic past who sees himself overwhelmed by his fellow Paul (Marc Labrèche), an insidious gambler. Accidentally, Bruce kills Paul in the middle of a snowstorm, burying the body and hiding himself from the authorities as his consciousness nags him continuously. Little by little and through flashbacks, we become aware of the men’s intractable relationship, but I only started slightly to involve myself in the story after the first hour, just to see its ending 30 minutes later. Haden Church’s performance was much more convincing than Labrèche, in a film that seemed set in layers, almost without a coherent narrative continuity, which affected strongly the final result. Despite of Bruce’s undesired encounters, tortured thoughts, and monologues where he expresses his fear by imagining a police interrogation, the film is devoid of real stimulation and keeps going round in circles, without any unsettling moment capable of grabbing my attention. I would say that Hoss-Desmarais risked too much in an almost-solo, non-charismatic character, and the outcome is neither minimalist nor conventional. The power of the mind over the body can be very benumbing. Only in this particular case, I also felt numb, and it wasn’t from the Canadian cold.

Afflicted (2013)

Directed by: Derek Lee, Clif Prowse
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Co-directors, writers and actors, Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, introduced themselves in the first minutes of “Afflicted”, before elucidating us about the dream trip around the world they’re about to record on video. Yes, this is another footage film, so in vogue nowadays, that tries to get close to the documentary format. But only a few minutes were necessary to realize that everything here is an inventive creation from the duo’s minds. Apart from Derek’s brain disease, the trip starts in an uneventful way, but everything changes in Paris, after he meets with a strange woman who turns him immortal and bloodthirsty. From the minute 45 on, we can follow Derek experiencing the unexplainable, in sequences of scenes varying from gross (vomiting blood or taking an eye out), funny (asking for blood in Italian), and moderately scary (having seizures or committing a live suicide). As expected, all the film was shot with super-shaky hand-held cameras to maintain an appealing intensity, and the result is simultaneously pointless and effective. This could be a good choice for vampire aficionados, depending of their taste. If you like elaborated dialogues and a more stylish approach, I would recommend “Only Lovers Left Alive”. In turn, if you prefer a raw and dirty style, “Afflicted” can do the trick. After all, considering the low budget, it presents some good ideas that will leave you wondering about the motives that led to disgrace: evilness or kindness? The film was worthy of the special jury citation at Toronto Film Festival.

The Auction (2013)

Directed by: Sébastien Pilote
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Sébastien Pilote’s sophomore feature, “The Auction”, is a compelling Canadian drama starring Gabriel Arcand in the role of an aging, dedicated farmer. Gaby Gagnon lives alone in his countryside farm after his wife has left him 20 years ago to go live in the city. A few years later his two daughters, Marie and Fréderique, also left home in order to live their own lives. Fréderique, with an emerging career in the theater, never shows up or give signs of wanting to be with the family, while Marie is expected soon with her two children and husband. Arriving just with the kids, Marie confesses she is divorcing and needs urgent money to keep the house. Gaby promises to help her out, but the bank refuses the loan he asked for, leaving him with the unique and toughest solution in hands: sell the farm in the local auction. Pacific and contemplative in style, yet profound in dramatic terms, the film evinced emotional insight and a true sense of family and friendship that define completely the main character. In this story of sacrifice and guilt, Gaby’s silent affliction was quite painful and his determination will be tested through his neighbor friends, who got very sad with his departure, or his opponent brothers who wanted a share from the farm’s sale. It’s a bittersweet tale that confronts the happiness of a conscious father (even knowing that his daughter is taking advantage of him) and the extreme sadness of an innate farmer. “The Auction” is a mature and tender drama that moves in crescendo, deserving to be seen.

The Meteor (2013)

Directed by: François Delisle
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “The Meteor” is a Canadian dialogue-free drama that uses solely voice-overs to express the thoughts and feelings of its characters, all part of the same broken family. Like reading a book with melancholic images passing in front of our eyes, François Delisle’s fifth feature succeeds in its elegiac tones by creating a whole story without interaction. 40 year-old Pierre is arrested and condemned to 14 years in prison for the murder of a woman, in a desperate act related with drugs. This fact motivated a great shake and suffering in his direct relatives, including his father who died shortly after. His old and tired mother, in turn, recalls the happy childhood of his son, while prepare herself for another visit to prison, the only occasion that her lone son get out of his cell. Death frequently comes to her head, boosted by the news of her older sister’s cancer, and with a sad assurance that she won’t be with her son again in the outside world. Pierre’s ex-wife, Suzanne, explains her gradual, prolonged, and deeply felt separation, regretting not to have children of him, but admitting to be totally ready for a new life. We also have the opportunity to know what’s in Pierre’s head. Every single day, he regrets what he did and revives the trauma of being raped by a cellmate in the night he arrived. Words of anguish, regret, and painful resignation echo constantly, in a depressing film that didn’t become limitative by its unusual communication option, which exposes openly the deplorable psychological state of its protagonists.

Enemy (2013)

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Country: Canada / Spain

Movie Review: Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve, presents us an inscrutable exercise on suspense, obscurity, and surrealism, where von Trier meets Cronenberg. “Enemy” was based on the novel “The Double” by Portuguese Nobel Prize winning author José Saramago, and adapted for the screen by Javier Gullón who took the premise: ‘chaos is an order yet undeciphered’ to good terms. How would you react if you find that another man looks exactly like you? David Bell is an introverted history professor, whose life seems not to be fulfilled, especially in regard to his amorous relationship. One day, while watching a movie, he discovers Anthony St. Claire, a self-assured small actor who is exactly his look-alike. Ruminating about this discovery, Adam decides to meet Anthony, in a strange move that will mess with their heads in completely different ways. The two men will switch houses and women, trying to find more about each other and themselves. Visually oppressive with its pale filtered tones and aerial shots showing the geometrical arrangement of the buildings, “Enemy” is an organized delirium (chaos) that invites its viewers to decide what they want to do with this inscrutable story - a bad dream, a longstanding hallucination, a traumatic situation triggered by arachnophobia, or even a movie inside the movie. You are still confronted with the choice if Adam and Anthony are two opposite sides of the same person or two identical persons with opposite personalities. The non-answering ending might be a frustration for some but for me was almost impossible to escape from the spell of “Enemy”.

The Dirties (2013)

Directed by: Matthew Johnson
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Audacious and darkly funny are the best adjectives to characterize “The Dirties”, the directorial debut by Matthew Johnson who also plays himself in the main role, a bullied High School student whose plan consists on killing a group of bullies he calls The Dirties. The film starts in a provocative way stating that scenes of graphic violence are intended for mature audiences and out of respect for the victims and their families, the footage has not been altered in any way. Matt and his friend Owen Wilson despite isolated from the rest of the world, have each other as company. Although they not always agree, their irreverence and creativity are a constant presence in school. Their revengeful plan was well premeditated, including a shooting practice and obtaining of blue prints from school, but while Owen sees it as a mere game without taking it seriously, Matthew is really determined in carrying it forward. “The Dirties” is a compelling portrait on bullying, school violence, and alienated teenagers, that could not achieve even better results because its experimental filmmaking was technically carefree, presenting a sort of anarchy, which intended or not, wasn’t appealing for the eyes. The frequent use of shaky camera with sudden zooms, lurking from corners or windows is a good example. Nevertheless, it showed enormous merit in other aspects such as: the creative idea behind the plot, the rousing and sarcastic finale, and credible performances. Regardless its faulty execution, at least we can say it was done with the right attitude.

Still Mine (2012)

Directed by: Michael McGowan
Country: Canada

Movie Review: Considering that “Still Mine” is a drama based on true events, I was afraid that it could fall into the usual dramatic tricks, but fortunately and for my surprise, Michael McGowan managed this aspect very well, avoiding that type of risky situations. The story is much more meaningful than it would seem at first,  addressing old age, sickness, and death, with a strong determination. But do not be mistaken, because the approach here nothing has to do with anger, revolt, or despair. On the contrary, it uses a relaxing pace with warm tones of intimacy and affection to show how to face difficulties with temperance, and not giving up so easily at the first adversity that may come. The plot basically consists in the struggle of 87-year-old Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) with the bureaucratic authorities of New Brunswick, after he decided to build a new house in his own terrain that was more functional for his wife Irene (Geneviève Bujold) who suffered from a degenerative disease. What I liked most in “Still Mine” was the honest way chosen to deal with the subject matter. McGowan just took time for what was really important to tell the story, appealing to our feelings in a natural way, and addressing it with objectivity, sensibility, and simplicity. That is what makes it better than other similar films like “Unfinished Song” or the Norwegian “Chasing The Wind”, which use the same old grumpy characters who inevitably change along the way without much surprise.