We often write about Canadian films with a likely path to U.S. theatres, but every so often, we get to see less heralded but not less adventurous films. In the 2016 Chicago International Movies & Music festival, I got to see a pair of Canadian films, one in French and one in English. In this festival, where there are films, there is music.
Love in the Sixth gets a lot of energy from Jude Klassen, who wrote, directed, and contributed songs to this film. The film focuses on different love relationships with a backdrop of political observations, most notably from Mika Kay, Klassen's real-life and on-screen daughter. Kat wants to save the world, especially from "tar sands."
Klassen also starts as Dani, who is an artist-of-all-trades from rock and roll musician to podcast host to philosophy tutor. Dani's boyfriend Sid (T.C. Folkpunk) struggles with jealousy in the relationship. While some of those scenes are hard to watch and a little heartbreaking, the dialogue feels real, the kind of real where Canadian films excel, whether large or small films.
The film is female-driven in conversation and focus, but also reflects on where the women have gone wrong in their relationships as well. We get a wide variety of rich, real female characters in the film. Outside of Sid, the men don't get much to say. Given that this film passes the Bechdel test multiple times despite being about relationships, men who watch the film should listen and take good notes.
In an intriguing dramatic choice, the song numbers are in washed-out colour while the regular scenes are in black-and-white. The drama feels more honest in black and white, remnant to another small film, Go Fish (1994).
Some of the musical numbers take on a Grease parody: Mancation is a song you might be singing to yourself long after the end credits have rolled. One musical number, the hilariously titled Bitch in My Pants, gives the audience a glimpse as to why Dani and Sid got together in the first place.
The film has well-thought out songs for a presentation that feels pretty raw and very improvised, in a good way. In small films such as this, you know the cast has to really like each other and that comes through on screen. You will have a good time because these people definitely are having a good time.
The film drops a number of Canadian references from Bill C-51 to Strombo to cameos from The Globe and Mail TV critic John Doyle, Les Stroud, and John Lefebvre. Stephen Harper is an unnamed co-star as his policies make a number of appearances. The fact that Harper is gone by the time we see the film doesn't take away from the need to talk about those concerns.
Love in the Sixth is about the sometimes bumpy path of relationships presented in an adult fashion that doesn't talk down to the audience with a splash of protest politics and a cavalcade of music. The film is still starting out on the road to get noticed so it might be awhile until the film comes around.
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Le Coeur de Madame Sabali is the Quebec debut for director Ryan McKenna, who comes to the province via Winnipeg. Jeannette (Marie Brassard) is a woman of a certain age who works for the train company. Her heart is weak, so she works alongside her pregnant co-workers. Her boyfriend isn't interested in Jeannette sexually.
Jeannette then gets the heart of a woman of Mali descent. The dead woman's son follows Jeannette around and introduces her to his mother's friends. The music from Blind Malian music duo Amadou & Mariam help to bring the Mali culture for the audience. She gets a taste for Mali food but also a steady nightmare. The film dances around with the idea that we get a part of the person whose organs have been donated.
Jeannette also meets Albert, who seemingly has seduced almost every woman in the train company. They hit it off but Albert's secret past makes that relationship more than complicated.
Even if Jeannette doesn't think she is a different person after the heart transplant, she certainly has a new life.
The train travel makes for nice symbolism as Jeannette is traveling on a new adventure. Halifax is the destination mentioned a few times in the film; the train ride between Halifax and Montreal is also symbolic since many immigrants came into Canada via Pier 21 in Halifax.
Quirky but delightful, the coeur (heart) of the film is about what happens when you get a second chance.
videos credit: YouTube/JudeKlassen; YouTube/K-Films Amérique
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