The timing of Monkey Beach around the time of Trickster is a coincidence since both are adaptations of Eden Robinson novels. Still, the projects show the different ways to interpret the novels.
Lisamarie (Grace Dove) starts out the film in Vancouver talking to her dead cousin Tabitha (Sera-Lys McArthur). Lisamarie has visions, including one where her brother Jimmy (Joel Oulette) has drowned.
Lisemarie decides to move from Vancouver back to Kitamaat, BC and Monkey Beach. There is no hesitation for the move.
Monkey Beach goes back and forth from the present to when Lisemarie was a girl. We get to see more of what she sees, the difference between spirits and ghosts, and talks with her Ma-Ma-Oo (Tina Lameman).
As the layers fall off, we see the impact of the Sixties Scoop on the next older generation from Lisemarie and how they react to the modern world. Lisemarie struggles with the visions and would rather be more "normal." Ma-Ma-Oo works to convince Lisemarie that her powers are special.
Canadian TV notebook: Trickster and Nurses on the U.S. side
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Loretta Todd's background as a documentary filmmaker serves her surprisingly well in her narrative debut. Monkey Beach is a fairly straightforward telling of the story with flashbacks.
For Trickster fans, having Joel Oulette in both projects is a nice coincidence. Unlike Trickster, Monkey Beach is more of an even-keel storytelling.
The mystical elements are engaging even if not fully explained. There is not a lot of tension in the film. Certain subplots come up but this isn't a edge of your seat type film. The ending is vague and also mystical.
Monkey Beach premiered at the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival. The film is available in Canada on Crave.
video credit: YouTube/Victoria Film Festival
photo credit: Monkey Beach film
Comments