La guerre des tuques (1984) Directed by André Melançon

Well this is one NOT to watch. SPOILERS but read anyway! 

Yes I know this is holiday classic, beloved by all of Québec. A light romp, growing up story of a snow fight "war" between children around a huge snow castle/fort. I understand fully that is a commentary on actual war using the children as proxies. Whatever. 

The filmmaking's below par, it has many elements I can't stomach like "funny" music to tell you when things are funny and the images overall are sort of muddy. This can be excused, many films are not beloved because of their stunning cinematography, etc. but because they represent a time or a place in the lives of people having lived through similar times and places. How and when you saw the film can make a big difference in how it affects you and how you think about it late in life. 

At the end of the "war" part of the snow fort collapses, killing the much loved dog of one of the main characters. The two sides stop fighting and bury the dog... then fun happy music and funny shots from the film are played over the credits - like nothing TERRIBLE happens at all. War metaphors aside, I don't think this film is great for young children, especially those with pets. The dog is crushed and suffocated to death because of the actions of horrible, selfish children. Anti-war point made - cue the goofy happy music! 

There was a cartoon version remake in 2016 which does try and handle the subject better, but still kills the dog in the end so there's that. 

The cavalier way the dog's death is handled and the all is well now the "war" is over really rubs me the wrong way as if you couldn't tell.

Mommy (2014) directed by:Xavier Dolan

 I have been wanting to watch this film for years and when it came on TV I reordered it... and waited more years to play it. I do like the films of Xavier Dolan. Like most filmmakers he has his strong and weak points but overall I don't think anyone can really deny he is a serious and seriously good director/writer/actor and editor. I knew going on this was an intense one and it didn't let me down on that level. 

The story of a mother, her son with severe behavioural issues and the neighbour who befriends them, this film while not without humorous moments exposes its subjects and the difficulties they face directly and forced the viewer to deal with it all head on. Filmed in a 1:1 ratio like classic films were, the cramped square restricts and contains their lives and options. It's very effective and the cinematography and editing are amazing. The only quibble I have is the use of popular music throughout. It's not inappropriate but for me personally it takes me a little out of the story from time to time. 

The start of the movie has an overly long series of title cards outline how a new government has enacted a law that allows poor parent's of troubled kids to place them into hospital with basically no question asked. I think this could have been told in a short line of dialogue or some other way that didn't drag out the start of the film as it's a plot convenience and the story is not about it.

I do not want to spoil the film, though to be honest, there isn't much room for what happens at the end to progress in many other directions but there is point where the lives of the characters and literally the world of the film opens up for a brief time before it all closes in on them again. 

The there main actors Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier Pilon and Suzanne Clément are stunning in their roles. Dolan's collaboration with the actors, particularly his long association with Dorval pays off with her giving a very real intense performance that will likely bring you to tears. Pilon keeps you n edge the entire running time. He never overplays his condition and makes it clear there is no predicting his behaviour from one moment to the next.  Clément with her stutter and reserved manner is a calming influence on the others and us. 

*I would like to give a pat on the back to out Québec productions. Less than 5 million $ to make this film which is typical and the quality is in line with anything I've seen at 100 million $. Proof that the success of a movie lies in it's tory, actors and technicians and dedication to strong ideas and situations over flash and high paid "stars". 

Incendies (2010) directed by Denis Villeneuve

Budget 6.5 million$
Box office 16 million $

Based Wajdi Mouawad's play of Incendies stars Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, and Rémy Girard.

Denis Villeneuve production schedule for this move was only an amazing 40 days with most f it being shot in Montréal and only 2 weeks in Jordan. The story of fraternal twins uncovering the terrible history of their mother and the search for their until now unknown brother and uncle is not for the light hearted. It is well filmed, deliberate and heart breaking. I don’t want to give too much away as seeing it unfold is the beauty of this film and even though its release was ten years ago, its a sure bet not many of the readers here have seen it. 

Performances are understated and fantastic and while I am not a big fan of Rémy Girard, he is great as the family’s notary. The connecting elements at the pool visually bring the various storylines together in a way that hits an emotional cord few movies pull off. 

I won’t lie, this can be hard to watch. Honour killings, rape and violence are important elements in the screenplay but they are handled in ways that add to the story being told. The limited budget and short shooting schedule are not apparent in any way during the runtime, its just proves a good story, with great actors and a careful director can pull off something meaningful and as high quality as any film with ten times the resources.

Les Amours Imaginaires

The new movie from young Québec film maker, Xavier Dolan (who writes, directs, stars and even has a hand in the costumes) is certainly an interesting second effort. Heavily influenced by the French New wave Cinema in style and lacking, on purpose, a complicated screenplay which lets you get more into the beautifully filmed and executed character interplay. All the performances are fantastic, even if the three main characters get upstaged a bit by the intercutting of people talking about their bad relationships documentary style, which is quite funny.

When pals Francis and Marie meet a somewhat mysteriously androgynous Nicholas at a party, they both get pulled under his spell. The film is a sort of love triangle, except the 3 people involved won’t even admit there is any romantic attraction until it has become apparent to the audience that the object of their affections is a self absorbed jerk, getting off on pitting two friends against each other. In the end both hearts get broken along with their friendship. Pretty boy of course goes off to find more people to worship him and plays dumb to the whole situation.

I love how the film is shot, at some points you’d swear the camera is only focused on the back of someone’s neck walking away in slow motion, or close ups of a sexy guy’s belly hairline, but it all works and draws you in. Marie’s obsession with looking like Audrey Hepburn is handled well and Francis’ pain when his object of desire coldly states , “What made you think I was gay?”, when he’s done nothing but give hints to that effect all through the film is truly heartbreaking to see.

My one problem is the film ends too late. After all is said and done, the friends slowly start to repair their relationship, shown in a brilliant rain scene where Marie’s umbrella slowly (because you are looking at the back of their necks walking away in slow motion of course) makes it’s way over Francis’s head and they share it’s protection. Everything afterward does nothing but make you lose respect for the two, who seemingly fall back into the same trap all over again as if the whole movie never happened.

That useless epilogue is almost a minor quibble compared to how successful this movie is overall, however. It invites discussion of all sorts and makes you think without being preachy or obvious. In many ways it really is a throw back in substance as well as style to the 60’s French New Wave or 70’s art house film idea of what film can be in the hands of a very talented young director.

L’Âge des ténèbres

The latest film by Denis Arcand is a mixed bag, but overall a very interesting piece of cinema. Certianly not as powerful as «L’Invasion barbares» it, nevertheless has some very poignant and funny moments in it.

Marc Labrèche is perfect as a completely stiffled by his marriage , job and life dreamer, living through his fantasyworld to escape it all. ( For an actor known for extreme farce, he’s very appropriately subdued here.) For the most part his fantasies are pretty banal and involve having semi public sex with beautiful women, In all these sex fantasies, the situation, dialogue are pretty much the same without any notable variation, hinting that he might not have have much imagination to draw on. Other imaginations are also quite banl... winning a litrary prize, being a Roman emperor with his boss as slave and such . The opening and closing dream-like sequences, however, are inspired and involve Rufus Wrainwright singing french opera (I will add, very effectively).

The world in this film is bizzare and so Québec-centric I wonder if anyone who doesn’t live here will get many of the jokes. Labrèche’s position as a government worker taking complaints in the Montréal Olympic Staduim, re-purposed as a government building is full of commentary on Québec politics, red tape and such.

The film has touching moments such as the visits to the hospital to be with his alzhiemer’s infected mother and even some scenes with his disconnected family. The successful wife who is literally 24/7 connected to the office and the children who barely notice their father exists despite his half hearted efforts to engage them. When he leaves his wife finally and she chases him down the street telling him what a failure he is and he stops to say (roughly translates) «I never thought there would be a day I would say I could kill you, but now that is not unimaginable» really struck me.

I also like that Arcand does not make the story all one sided. There may be reasons why his life is this way and there are hints that what we are seeing through his perspective maybe be more than a little skewed in his favour. Examples of this are when he has quit his job job and on his way out the door, his uptight boss we have been primed to think of just an evil corporate oppressor is not overjoyed to get rid of him but almost in tears as she must tell him his mother has just died... she really feels for him. At the end of the film when his wife brings his stuff to him at the place he is staying, his family is not so cold and distant. The oldest daughter is quite kind and his wife is not on the phone but sweetly smiling at him and the love she felt/still feels for him comes through.

There is also a strange seemingly off the path segment at the time involving a group that acts out their «Middle Ages» fantasies, dressing as knights and princesses to escape the modern world. (This is actually a big thing here in Montréal - don’t ask me why - I really don’t get it). He has a chance to join them and live out these fantasies with an attractive young women. You’d think this is exactly the life he’s been looking for but he rejects it all and his own fantasy world in order to live and accept life as it really is.

Is this movie for anyone? Certainly not. many critiques hated it in fact. It's not my favourite film, but certainly is worth a look at.

Grande Ourse (2009)

Grande Ourse was a TV show from the years 2004-2006 about mysterious goings on in a remote mining town in Northern Québec. This a film based on those characters and actually spring from the storylines at the end of the show’s run, but manages to not make it a requirement to have seen the show in order to follow what’s happening on screen.

The movie is intriguing and the storyline twisted.. it follows into quite a few alternate realities, and delves into it’s own brand of occult and paranormal tangents. The 3 main characters are all from the original show and played by the same actors. Louis-Bernard Lapointe (Marc Messier) as the reporter turned clairvoyant, Émile Biron (Normand Daneau) his doting assistant and boyfriend to Gastonne Béliveau (Fanny Mallette) a police officer who seems to take her gun out at the sign of.. well anything. Even while following an unarmed old woman and child through the streets. She doesn’t hold it right either, which distracted me a bit.

The cinematography is really excellent. The abduction of one of the main characters is really creepy as is the «witch» who looks like a real version of a Brother’s Quay puppet. Her little boy companion does traditional Québec dances, which are creepy enough to me (just watch any episode of «Soirée Canadienne»). There is different lighting and colour treatment for each «reality» which helps keeps things somewhat straight in your head... the story is too odd to desribe without ruining something in the plot. I will say the film is not over when you think it is and some important questions are answered (sort of) by a funny one liner in a little epilogue.




What I really liked about it most of all was the world it presented... very original yet gothic horror in many ways. The story was not rushed, there are no real «action» sequences or explosions, just an engaging and challenging plot to keep you guessing what will happen next.

I am not sure if it’s available in the USA... it says it has English subtitles, but I didn’t actually bother to check if it really did of how good they were. In many ways, the series was Quebec’s «Twin Peaks» and this film does the legacy justice I think.

Babine - more Québec cinema!

When the church of a very small village is destroyed in a fire, the local village «idiot», Babine, the son of the village witch is accused of the crime and the death of the old Curé by his replacement... a religious fanatic who will stop at nothing to assure those he does not like are punished. Babine escapes and find a traveling circus where he befriends, amoung others, a giant Bull, which comes in handy later on.

The real cause of the fire was the release of some «fireflies» (who actually produce fire and the person responsible tries to clear babine and bring the village to it’s senses about the new Curé, who is really the villain of the piece.

I am not sure if anyone not living here in Québec will ever get to see this film... it is despite the typical low budget of our productions, beautiful and profound at points. It moves slowly and lyrically, and the characters are all portrayed very well by the actors. The villag eitself is an obvious set-piece, which actually works to the film advantage. After all this is a fairy-tale story not a real life documentary.

I’ve been wanting to buy this film pn Blu-ray before it’s all sold out forever.. somehow I doubt there will be a second pressing as it’s alittle limited in it’s audience. Sadly, I don’t have the cash thse days, but I’d say to anyone that can... buy it. Little sweet films like this deserve all the help they can get.

Not everyone I know loved this film like I did, but I would rather see 100 films like this come out for each "Terminator 4" or Transformers 2" and the studios would still be saving money the overall costs!

Jésus of Montréal

Released one year after “The Last Temptation of Christ” you’d think there was a christian revival going on at the time. This is no historical drama, but follows the life of an actor hired to play Christ in a passion play here in Montréal. The story basically follows pretty closely what you get in the biblical version, cleverly updating the situations with modern equivalents. The whole cast becomes entangled in a Catholic controversy as their play becomes a huge success despite or rather because of it’s unconventional look at the story. Their personal lives also begin to follow the story right until the bitter end when Daniel (the actor playing Jésus) dies and even has a resurrection of sorts. Lothaire Bluteau is great as the actor/christ/actor and the direction by Denys Arcand is spot on throughout.

This film made huge waves in the cinema world at the time and put Arcand on the map as a great Québec film maker. Several of his other films made waves as well, including “The Decline of the American Empire” (which I thought was pretty run of the mill) and it’s sequel made 17 years later with the same cast (which might be his best film ever).

Oddly, though released internationally, the DVD versions of this film were only in French until recently. This made it very hard to recommend to cinephiles who spoke any other language.

Ryan

If you haven't seen this little animated documentary you've really missed something. I was all over the place here in Québec a few years ago.. it was made here and the subject, academy award winning animator Ryan Larkin turned panhandler on Saint-laurent (steps in front of the film board office) is still asking for money as people pass by, most oblivious to his accomplishments. There was a CBC documentary on this documentary... which includes the entire film broken in pieces with additional interviews. That version is actually much better as a doc, this little animation leaves out some key facts (like Ryan Larkin is gay for example) that makes some of the lines ("we should have had children" to his ex girlfriend who laughs) less poignant than they may have been.