François Arnaud and Monia Chokri were in 2 different films in the festival. Arnaud had a lead role in both films while Chokri directed herself in one of the films. Always fun to see Karine Vanasse and Suzanne Clément on the screen, though in separate films.
The phrase in the Ici Windsor ad roughly translates to "wings for the cinema." Ici Windsor is the French version of CBC television. Windsor had a retransmitter of the Ottawa Ici station then the Toronto Ici station until the analog versions were discontinued in 2012. Meaning until 2012, those in Windsor could get CBEFT, Channel 54 (later Channel 35), over the air. Now those in the Windsor area watch the Toronto station CBLFT-DT via cable or satellite.
Babysitter features Monia Chokri, who stars and directs in the film adaptation of the play, both written by Catherine Léger. The film features a lot of misogyny in an over-the-top presentation in a Quebecois farce. Cédric (Patrick Hivon) violates Chantal Tremblay, a female reporter, while she is on the air. His brother Jean-Michel goes to the other extreme on attitudes with women. Chokri may seem like a background character but be patient. The babysitter herself (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is also not what you think. Misogyny covered by women in a farce is an excellent angle to take this topic. Not much into farces personally, but Babysitter is a film to watch more than once to see all that is there. Chokri shows she is a director to pay attention to in the Quebecois film scene.
The Origin of Evil feels (and is) like a France-Canada co-production about a factory worker trying to escape the poor life by impersonating the long lost daughter of a very rich man. Turns out the patriarch is a bit odd and his daughter a bit cold. Suzanne Clément plays the ex-girlfriend of the factory worker and the actual long-lost daughter. A thriller that was surprisingly deep in the storytelling.
Arsenault & Fils is about a tight-knit family in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec. Long after other families got out of the poaching business, the Arsenaults are still at it. The older son Adam (Guillaume Cyr) would rather be running the garage, the front for the poaching business, legitimately. The younger son Anthony (Pierre-Paul Alain) is back in town and wants to heighten the poaching part of the business. Complicated things further is the arrival of radio host Émilie (Karine Vanasse), who falls for Adam and draws the attention of Anthony. The film makes note of being near the Quebec border with New Brunswick, which is intriguing since New Brunswick has almost no major film presence in Canada. An interesting enough story with some cool twists along the way.
Maria has a struggling commercial actor falling into a teaching role. Mariana Mazza is in the title role and co-wrote the film with Justine Philie. Alec Pronovost is the director. Maria is loud and rubs people the wrong way. Her best friends seem to represent potential choices for Maria: one is a lesbian and the other is pregnant with 2 other kids. She discovers that being a teacher suits her, even if her style is atypical. This film reminded me of Guidance from Pat Mills, which we enjoyed. While not a great film, Maria is reasonably good. If you are stuck in your life, you may relate but you won't learn how to get unstuck.
Goodbye Happiness | Au Revoir Le Bonheur is a broad comedy about 4 brothers after their father has passed away and they are deciding what to do about the summer home. This is a Ken Scott film and feels like one even if you don't know who Ken Scott is. François Arnaud plays the primary brother Nicolas, who has several children each with different mothers. You will recognise Antoine Bertrand and Julie Le Breton if you saw Starbuck. English Canada has few broad films, unless there is an English language version of a Scott film. Stick with the subtitles and see his original films en Francaise.
Rosie is a little Indigenous girl whose mother dies. Her aunt Fred is Quebecois, both girls ripped from their worlds and placed in a family together. Fred's life is not going terribly well and struggles to figure out how to care for this girl in her life. Fred's best friends are 2 drag queens, who have actual subplots of their own. Gail Maurice tells a deeper story in her directorial and writing debut than is obvious within the film. Viewing the film within the glass of abandonment will help the film make a bit more sense. An inconsistent film with a great message.
Coyote focuses on Camilo, a Mexican immigrant trying to rebuild his life as a chef in La Malbaie, Quebec. Camilo's plans are put on hold after his adult daughter goes into rehab and he is forced to take care of his grandson, whom he meets for the first time. Camilo is fluent in French and Spanish while the grandson doesn't know Spanish. This is Katherine Jerkovic's second film after Roads to February, which was set in Uruguay. A slow yet intriguing look at the life of an immigrant turning his life around.
WIFF Prize in Canadian Film
Falcon Lake gives us an unusual friendship with Bastien (French actor Joseph Engel), 13, from Paris visiting a small town in Quebec. His mother (Monia Chokri) knows Chloé's (Sara Montpetit) mother (Karine Gonthier-Hyndman). Chloé is 16 and is trying to find her ground with the boys in the tiny community. She teases Bastien, seeing him as an opportunity to have some control over a boy. Bastien is a bit of a puppy dog but not too much. Charlotte LeBon, who co-wrote and directed the film, is delicate with the dynamic of Bastien and Chloé as they grow closer. Bastien is the protagonist (Bastien Vivès wrote the original graphic novel Une sœur and co-wrote the screenplay) yet LeBon gives time and energy to Chloé's struggles much to the benefit of the audience. LeBon also uses the calmness and natural beauty of the rustic setting to set the tone and mood of the film in an ideal proportion. Montpetit had trouble as the lead in Maria Chapdelaine (not her fault) but shows great potential in this complex role. This is a film you will remember for some time to come.
Norbourg describes the straightforward story of the actual Norbourg scandal from 2005. François Arnaud is excellent as the arrogant company president Vincent Lacroix. Vincent-Guillaume Otis is complicated in his portrayal of vice-president Éric Asselin. Maxime Giroux told this story in part because his parents were affected by the scandal. Watching the company executives thwart the regulators is sad and likely very accurate. One funny scene involves Olympic Stadium, which is amusing in itself. The pace matches what is necessary to tell the story. A film that you wish wasn't real but is.
photo credits: Babysitter film; Ici Windsor; Falcon Lake film
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