There is no conclusive data that men are afraid to see the latest remake of Little Women, up for best picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. We wouldn’t be surprised if some men are afraid or reluctant to see the film.
Your humble narrator wasn’t excited about seeing the film. I didn't get too far into the 1994 version. The 1994 version had Trini Alvarado as Meg; Winona Ryder as Jo; Claire Danes as Beth; and Samantha Mathis and Kirsten Dunst split time as Amy.
I didn’t know there was a 1949 version (Janet Leigh as Meg; June Allyson as Jo; Margaret O'Brien as Beth; and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy).
If you read the book, you know how the movie turns out. Their stories aren’t all that hopeful. That doesn’t always appeal to some filmgoers, regardless of primary gender.
Little Women (2019) brings the story to life unlike its well-meaning predecessors, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who was nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay but sadly not nominated for best director.
Emma Watson as Meg; Saoirse Ronan as Jo; Eliza Scanlen as Beth; and Florence Pugh as Amy play the March sisters in the newest version.
Gerwig does a great job in making clear the distinction between the sisters. True fans might find that to be obvious; casual viewers might struggle. Gerwig covers a lot of ground with flashbacks to different points in the story without making the audience nauseous. The story was a lot easier to follow, even if you have read the book.
The paths of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy don’t change. They are given more honour in this adaptation.
Some true fans might find the 1994 and 1949 as well as other versions to be more authentic. The story feels more modern in Gerwig’s hands and guidance.
A number of fans had a similar reaction to the latest version of Anne of Green Gables, Anne with an E on CBC and Netflix.
Moira Walley-Beckett and Miranda de Pencier incorporated women writers and inclusion themes into the timeless classic story. Amybeth McNulty had an unique brightness and energy to the spirited Anne Shirley Cuthbert.
The criticism over a character of colour and an Indingenous girl reflects the reality of the time instead of ignoring the obvious.
Females make up slightly more of the population and a significant percentage of those who see movies. They see a lot of films because a guy encouraged them to go see a film. The films that dominate the best director category leap to mind: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; The Irishman; 1917.
I had an acquaintance who posted on FB say “I’m guessing no film directed by a women (sic) was worthy this year.” I replied "Little Women, Hustlers, The Farewell. Booksmart."
Film and TV are about insight into stories. To ignore stories from women, people of colour, and other visible minorities prevents us from seeing all of humanity. We are making strides with foreign films such as Roma and Parasite getting more recognition; films by women deserve much more recognition.
Louisa May Alcott and Lucy Maud Montgomery might have a few notes or two about the latest adaptations of their heroines. They might embrace the spirit of those characters told in a modern embrace.
The realities of girls and women in 2020 are a lot different than 1994 (Little Women) and 1985 (Anne of Green Gables). Men, women, those that identify otherwise: they see these modern adaptations as taking in these timeless stories in a more relatable prism. Your humble narrator hopes to live long enough to see the next remakes 30 years down the road. And he won’t be afraid to see them.
photos credit: Little Women film; Anne with an E/Netflix
Young people wanting to escape small-town Canada for the United States makes for a great plot, such as New Waterford Girl. Lou (Michaela Kurimsky) and Chantal (Karena Evans) want to escape their small town for New York City but more because of trying to escape where they are. Firecrackers is an intense debut Canadian film from Jasmin Mozaffari.
Lou and Chantal have been raising money by cleaning motel rooms. They think they have enough money to escape. They start down the path of doing all the wrong things to do when trying to leave a small town. There is also the outside factor of Chantal being assaulted by her possessive ex-boyfriend. Lou's revenge ultimately means losing the hard-earned money.
The gender dynamic is clearly on display as the males make leaving much more difficult. When men run away, they aren't as likely to be held back by women.
Lou also struggles with her mother's new younger boyfriend. Lou works hard to protect her potentially closeted brother. Lou wants to leave but doesn't want her brother to struggle.
Mozaffari does really well to ground the film in reality. The friendship of Lou and Chantal gets tested in lots of ways.
The tension builds in the first half of the film. The second half of the film is mostly watching Lou spiral after being stuck in the small town while Chantal mostly disappears from the screen. The friendship is meaningful until it isn't.
Changing that ratio to have more excitement and tension over a longer section of the film would help. The only real disappointment in an otherwise strong film.
Firecrackers was the feature debut for Michaela Kurimsky, one of the 2018 TIFF Rising Stars.
TIFF named Firecrackers to Canada's Top Ten list of 2018 films. The Toronto Film Critics Association listed the film as a finalist for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award in 2019. The film won Canadian Screen Awards for Best Director for Jasmin Mozaffari and Best Editing for Simone Smith.
Firecrackers won Best Film and Best Actress (Michaela Kurimsky) at the 2018 Stockholm International Film Festival.
The film did have brief theatre runs in Canada and the United States. Firecrackers is available on Amazon Prime for an additional fee.
photo credit: Firecrackers film video credit: YouTube/LevelFILM
The 92nd Academy Awards will have a stronger foreign film influence mostly due to Parasite, the amazing South Korean film with 6 Oscar nominations. Parasite got a rare double nomination for best picture and best international feature film (known previously as best foreign language film).
Bong Joon Ho also picked up a nod for best director, in addition to original screenplay with Jin Won Han. The film also got nods for film editing and production design.
Burning was the first South Korean film to make the shortlist in the best international feature film category last year. Parasite won the Palme d’Or, Cannes highest honor, this spring.
Parasite will compete against Les Misérables (France); Honeyland (North Macedonia); Corpus Christi (Poland); and Pain and Glory (Spain) for Best International Feature Film. The shortlist films that didn't make the final cut are The Painted Bird (Czech Republic); Truth and Justice (Estonia); Those Who Remained (Hungary); Beanpole (Russia); and Atlantics (Senegal).
Parasite won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language last week. The film beat out The Farewell (United States); Pain and Glory (Spain); Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France); and Les Misérables (France).
"Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Bong Joon-ho said through a translator in his acceptance speech.
The Critics Choice Awards winner for Best Foreign Language Film was Parasite over Atlantics (Senegal); Les Misérables (France); Pain and Glory (Spain); and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France). Bong Joon-ho tied for Best Director for Parasite.
The night before the Academy Awards, the Film Independent Spirit Awards will hand out a winner for Best International Film. The nominees are:
Invisible Life (Brazil)
Les Misérables (France)
Parasite (South Korea)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)
Retablo (Peru)
The Souvenir (United Kingdom)
Honeyland (North Macedonia) is also nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Antonio Banderas is up for Best Actor in Pain and Glory in a role that is in Spanish.
Parasite joins a select group of foreign-language films up for a Best Picture Oscar.
1938 Grand Illusion (France) 1969 Z (France/Algeria)* 1972 The Emigrants (Sweden) 1973 Cries and Whispers (Sweden) 1995 The Postman (Italy) 1998 Life Is Beautiful (Italy)* 2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan)* 2006 Letters from Iwo Jima (US) 2012 Amour (France/Germany/Austria) * 2018 Roma (Mexico) * 2019 Parasite (South Korea)*
* also nominated for Best International Feature Film. All the previous winners did win Best International Feature Film.
Brotherhood made the cut for best live action short film for Meryam Joobeur. Brotherhood deals with a rural Tunisian family after the eldest son returns from fighting with ISIS. The film won best Canadian short film at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The film has won more than 60 awards in 48 countries.
The Physics of Sorrow made the shortlist for best animated short from Theodore Ushev but didn't make the final cut. The Physics of Sorrow is comprised of more than 15,000 images with beeswax and resin, the first animated film made using the encaustic painting technique. That film features the voice talents of Donald and Rossif Sutherland.
Dean DeBlois from Aylmer, Quebec wrote and directed How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World in the best animated feature category. Jay Baruchel is the lead as a young Viking named Hiccup.
Sami Khan from Sarnia, Ontario co-directed (with Smriti Mundhra) St. Louis Superman, a nominee in the best documentary short category. The film won the grand prize at the 2019 Indy Shorts International Film Festival in Indianapolis and won the audience choice award at the Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan.
Paul Massey is up for best sound mixing on Ford v Ferrari. Vancouver-born Dennis Gassner has a nomination for best production design for 1917.
Gassner now has 7 Oscar nominations, winning in 1992 for Bugsy.
Canada has only had a single film make the shortlist in the last 7 Oscars seasons: Xavier Dolan's Juste la fin du monde, which was 2 films ago for the French-Canadian director. That film didn't make the Top 5 cut.
Antigone didn't make the cut for Best International Feature Film. The Canadian entry didn't have much of a shot at making the Oscars shortlist. The film was the best entry Canada has had in the last 3 years.
Canada has the potential to get back in the discussion for Best International Feature Film. Les invasions barbares | The Barbarian Invasions from Denys Arcand is the only Canadian film to win an Oscar in this category.
Fay Bainter (1938) Best Actress, White Banners // Best Supporting Actress, Jezebel* Teresa Wright (1942) Best Actress, The Pride of the Yankees // Best Supporting Actress, Mrs. Miniver* Barry Fitzgerald (1944) Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, Going My Way* Jessica Lange (1982) Best Actress, Frances // Best Supporting Actress, Tootsie (win) Sigourney Weaver (1988) Best Actress, Gorillas in the Mist // Best Supporting Actress, Working Girl Al Pacino (1992) Best Actor, Scent of a Woman* // Best Supporting Actor, Dick Tracy Holly Hunter (1993) Best Actress, The Piano* // Best Supporting Actress, The Firm Emma Thompson (1993) Best Actress, The Remains of the Day // Best Supporting Actress, In the Name of the Father Julianne Moore (2002) Best Actress, Far From Heaven // Best Supporting Actress, The Hours Jamie Foxx (2004) Best Actor, Ray* // Best Supporting Actor, Collateral Cate Blanchett (2007) Best Actress, Elizabeth: The Golden Age // Best Supporting Actress, I'm Not There Scarlett Johansson (2019) Best Actress, Marriage Story // Best Supporting Actress, Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit made an impact at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival winning the People’s Choice Award. TIFF viewers have had a good track record with seeing the potential of a film. JoJo Rabbit is a wonderful film, whatever you may have heard. TIFF patrons know their films.
Jojo Rabbit has 6 Oscar nominations: Best Picture; Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Johansson); Best Adapted Screenplay (writer/director Taika Waititi); costume design; film editing; and production design.
Though Neil Peart passed away Tuesday, we only found out late on Friday afternoon. The long-time Rush drummer passed away at 67 after a 3½ year battle with glioblastoma.
The Neil Peart retirement lasted a little more than 4 years. The Rush retirement has been about 2 years old. The retirement felt like a sad reality. Lots of rock and roll bands retire to then go back and unretire. Even in 2018, you felt like this was real.
Rush fans know Peart joined the group in July 1974. Peart became the band's lyricist, taking the band and their fans in a new and exciting direction.
I had arranged a theoretical Canadian dinner party based on the contribution of words. I included Peart along with Leonard Cohen, Margaret Atwood, and Jacqueline Hennessy. Peart and Cohen have passed on, leaving a legacy of poetry all its own.
Neil Peart was also an author. His non-fiction work focuses on his travel experiences — Peart was an avid motorcycle rider. Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road might have been his most significant work where Peart goes into the death of his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, in a car accident in 1997, and his wife, Jackie, who died of cancer 10 months after the accident.
Peart also worked on fiction novelizations of Rush's 2012 album Clockwork Angels.
The most Canadian thing I did in 2019 outside Canada was on August 21 when Cinema Strangiato 2019: An Annual Exercise In Fan Indulgence was shown in multiple cities in movie theatres. The concert footage went backward chronologically through their song catalogue. There were other fun tidbits in between songs showing off their humour.
The second most Canadian thing was check out the crowd waiting for the book signing for Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book Of Bass.
The Toronto Film Critics Association selected The Body Remembers When the World Broken Open from Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Maija Tailfeathers as the winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. The winning film gets a $100,000 prize. The other finalists were Antigone by Sophie Deraspe; and Firecrackers from Jasmin Mozaffari.
I've seen all these films, not something that happens every year. Our Firecrackers review is coming soon.
2018 Anthropocene Ed Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier 2017 Werewolf Ashley McKenzie 2016 The Stairs Hugh Gibson 2015 The Forbidden Room Guy Maddin 2014 Enemy Denis Villeneuve 2013 Watermark Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky 2012 Stories We Tell Sarah Polley 2011 Monsieur Lazhar Philippe Falardeau 2010 Incendies Denis Villeneuve 2009 Polytechnique Denis Villeneuve 2008 My Winnipeg Guy Maddin 2007 Away From Her Sarah Polley 2006 Manufactured Landscapes Jennifer Baichwal 2005 A History of Violence David Cronenberg 2004 The Triplets of Belleville Sylvain Chomet 2003 Spider David Cronenberg 2002 Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner Zacharias Kunuk 2001 The Last Wedding Bruce Sweeney 2000 waydowntown Gary Burns 1999 Set Me Free Léa Pool 1998 Last Night Don McKellar 1997 The Sweet Hereafter Atom Egoyan
I have seen the winners from 1997-1998, 2000, 2002, 2006-2013, 2015, and 2018-2019.
Black Christmas is a rarity in that an American film remakes a Canadian film. Even without seeing the 2019 remake, there is likely little similarity with the original Bob Clark classic from 1974. There was also a 2006 remake where Clark served as executive producer and Andrea Martin (who was in the original film) has a cameo.
The original film features English actor Olivia Hussey, Martin, and Canadian actors Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, and Lynne Griffin.
"Sometimes we'll say, 'Is that only going to play to Canadians? And if so, is it worth doing it?"' "Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, but it is something we do think about now."
Brent Butt of Corner Gas had this quote in a recent article on the impact of streaming services. While we understand this instinct, we are saddened by the idea of Canadians self-censoring themselves on matter that is Canadian. The British don't do this. Americans don't even understand the concept.
How else are audiences outside Canada suppose to learn about Canada if not through Canadian TV. Baroness von Sketch Show did a sketch in the most recent season about the horrors of living in Hamilton. Sure non CFL fans might have had to look up "Hamilton Ontario not the musical."
IFC censors did step in and make them change Caesar to Bloody Mary. A couple of cast members live Tweeted recipes for a Caesar during the American debut. Americans should learn both drinks and decide for themselves.
Streaming services offer chances for Americans to learn about other cultures. British people say biscuits even if Americans are confused what they mean by biscuits (cookies). Chesterfield, poutine, serviette: Canadians know what they are; Americans can learn them too.
If you ever thought you couldn't be an actor because you can't memorize lines, think of (Canadian-born) Anna Paquin's script in The Irishman. Paquin didn't have 7 lines; she had 7 words.
Paquin played the adult version of Peggy Sheeran, the daughter of mafia hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). About 2:40 in the 3½ hour movie, Paquin delivers her 7 words.
"Why?" Peggy asks her dad, who responds with "Wha?"
"Why?" she asks again.
"Why what?" Frank says.
"Why haven't you called Jo?," she asks, referring to Jimmy Hoffa's wife.
No one expects a significant amount of dialogue from female characters in a Martin Scorsese film. Still, a Oscar winner deserves a bit more screen time and dialogue. If Paquin ended up with an Oscar nomination (we will know Monday), she might win the mark for the shortest screen time. Beatrice Straight spent 5 minutes, 40 seconds on screen in winning Best Supporting Actress for Network (1976).
Stand! is an unusual Canadian film. The film is a dramatic musical about the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. I confess I knew very little about the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 until I saw Canada: The Story of Us. The CBC TV show is available through Amazon Prime.
The last and only Canadian musical I recall was Score: A Hockey Musical (2010), a dreadful film despite the talents of Noah Reid (Schitt's Creek) and Allie MacDonald (Young Drunk Punk).
Given the current economic conditions, a film about the Winnipeg General Strike would be a welcome sight. The film has had a Canadian run and is expected to have a release in the United States and Japan.
Layoffs are a thing these days in both Canada and the United States. It would be a joy to work for the Toronto International Film Festival or the National Film Board of Canada.
Unfortunately, both film organisations recently had layoffs. TIFF had a "comprehensive review" with 15 pink slips across all departments. The NFB laid off 5 staff members: 2 executive directors, a chief digital officer, a director of operation, and an administrator.
While we hope the organisations can thrive under the dismissals, we do feel bad for those who lost their chance to work for these organisations and their loved ones.
The Cineworld acquisition of Cineplex and its 165 cinemas and 1,695 screens will do better for non-Canadian movies likely at the cost of exposure for Canadian films. This is one of a few deals that will impact the Canadian theatre and film scene.
The Tyee has a suggestion for an alternative path for independent films in theatres.
For all the talk about streaming, creating buzz about movies involves theatres. English Canada needs to see itself as a place for homegrown films instead of the latchkey of the U.S. movie market.
Twitter capture: @TFCA photos credit: The Body Remembers When the World Broken Open film; The Irishman film
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open was a film we noticed when the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival lineup was announced. Didn't think I would see the film so quickly.
The story follows indigenous women from very different sociological backgrounds: Áila (co-director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) and Rosie (Violet Nelson). An early shot of Áila getting health care is telling: her Sámi blood makes her more light-skinned. The doctor asks if Áila is a Polynesian name; she replies that the name is Scandinavian.
Áila responds when she sees a man screaming Rosie's name. Áila suspects Rosie is a victim of domestic abuse. Áila is from a higher class than Rosie. Even when the two women meet, Rosie is uncertain about wanting help from Áila.
Except for the opening shots, most of this film is in a single shot, opening up the intimacy between the worlds these women inhabit. We also see the harsh reality of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
The elaborate film title stems from a Billy-Ray Belcourt essay about carrying the past with us.
The Joni Mitchell song Little Green plays a significant role in the film.
The film is a quiet film, which usually means not much happens. There is a lot that happens with building tension portrayed in a subtle fashion as details about the women become apparent. The film is also shot with very little light, so paying attention is crucial. When the women are together but not in the same place, which one the camera follows speaks a lot to what is more important. Kathleen Hepburn, co-director of this film, also directed Never Steady, Never Still, a quiet film of its own that said a lot.
The film speaks to the need to help someone who is reluctant to want help. Bring your patience to this film and you will learn a lot.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open made the list for TIFF's Top Ten Canadian film list for 2019. The film also won the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.
Ava DuVernay's Array is distributing the film, which is part of why the film is getting more attention.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open is currently available in the United States on Netflix.
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers photo credit: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open film
Long before the decade ended, I knew Take This Waltz and Mommy would be at the top of the list of Canadian films in the 2010s. Outstanding from beginning to the end, they were thoughtful, great storytelling, and left lasting impressions.
Xavier Dolan and Sarah Polley could have filled up a list of 2010s favourites. J'ai tué ma mère | I Killed My Mother would have made the list but was released in 2009.
Here is our list of the Top 10 Canadian films in the 2010s:
1 Take This Waltz (2011) 2 Mommy (2014) 3 Monsieur Lazhar (2011) 4 Cloudburst (2011) 5 Trigger (2010) 6 Angry Inuk (2016) 7 Café de Flore (2011) 8 All the Wrong Reasons (2013) 9 Into the Forest (2015) 10 Women Who Act (2015)
Monsieur Lazhar was the only Canada Top 5 Oscar film to make the list. Cloudburst was the Canadian film where I laughed the loudest. Trigger is a beautiful film of people who knew and loved each other rallying together to give a literal send-off to their friend. Angry Inuk was a documentary on why the Inuit are struggling up north. Café de Flore was a great example of what Jean-Marc Vallee can do when writing and directing his own films. All the Wrong Reasons surprised me for all the right reasons. Into the Forest was an amazing Patricia Rozema film. Women Who Act was a wonderful insight into Canada and film and women.
3 of the 10 films are in French. 2 are non-fiction. Only 1 film has an indigenous theme.
We did not factor in films that technically qualified as Canadian films but didn't reflect too much Canadian content. Room (2015). Brooklyn (2015), It's Only the End of the World (2016), Celtic Soul (2016), and Ava (2017) are certainly lovely films but wouldn't make my Top 10 list. I also left off Window Horses (2016), a wonderful film for the same criteria.
3 Canadian films made the Oscars Top 5 cut in the 2010s: Incendies and Rebelle | War Witch also didn't qualify with enough Canadian content.
Tatiana Maslany starred in our top 10 Canadian TV selection in the 2010s in Orphan Black. I loved her in Picture Day (2012) and Cas & Dylan (2013). They were very good films, even with not making the Top 10.
Dolan's Heartbeats | Les Amours imaginaires (2010) and Laurence Anyways (2012) along with Polley's Stories We Tell (2012) would have finished in the Top 20.
We enjoyed Pat Mills' first 2 films: Guidance (2014) and Don't Talk To Irene (2017).
Jennifer Baichwal and her collaborations with husband Nicholas de Pencier and photographer Edward Burtynsky made an impact on the decade in Canadian film. While Manufactured Landscapes was in 2006, Baichwal made an impact in the 2010s with Watermark (2013); Long Time Running (2017); and Anthropocene (2018).
Some lovely honourable mentions:
2010 — Good Neighbours 2011 — Starbuck 2012 — Goon; Inch'Allah; My Awkward Sexual Adventure 2013 — Empire of Dirt; Gabrielle 2014 — An Eye for Beauty | Le règne de la beauté; Felix and Meira; You're Sleeping, Nicole | Tu dors Nicole 2015 — My Internship in Canada | Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre; No Men Beyond This Point; Our Loved Ones 2016 — Maudie; Mean Dreams; Weirdos 2017 — Adventures in Public School; Black Cop; Mary Goes Round; Meditation Park; In the Name of All Canadians 2018 — The Fireflies Are Gone | La disparition des lucioles; Giant Little Ones; A Colony; Level 16; Slut in a Good Way | Charlotte a du fun 2019 — Murmur; Kuessipan; And The Birds Rained Down | Il pleuvait des oiseaux
The Windsor International Film Festival played an important role in shaping my knowledge of Canadian film. I have seen at least one film in the festival since 2007. As the decade progressed, so did the number of films. Though the festival has always had that many Canadian films, they showed some amazing films that increased my desire to see even more Canadian films.
The Genie Awards became the Canadian Screen Awards in 2013.
The online presence has helped from Canada Screens to Encore + on YouTube. We are still dreaming for a streaming service to bring Canadian film into a wider audience. Netflix hasn't been nearly as receptive to Canadian film as Canadian television. Maybe this can be a reality sometime in the next decade.
Whether you got presents from Christmas, Hanukkah, or even Boxing Day, you might have bought a film via an on-demand service. You might have even bought The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which we recently reviewed.
You could have received the ancient technology of a DVD as a present. You would then own a physical copy of a film.
"Buy" in the on-demand sense means you don't own a physical copy. You can watch the film whenever you want. There are limitations to "buying" a film with this method. There are limitations to the physical purchase of a DVD.
When the issue came up with The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, the on demand option through my cable service was only to buy at $19.99. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the film. The $19.99 cost would be weighed versus seeing the film in a theatre. The theatre was very far from me. Transportation would have cost $5.30 round trip with a $6 matinee ticket cost. Add in a meal and that could add up quickly.
Fortunately, I checked into Amazon Prime, which offered me an option to buy at $19.99 or rent for 24 hours at $5.99. That cost would equal the price of a ticket and save time and money on transportation and food. For the review, I was able to go back the next day to double check a few details.
I do come from a generation where you bought and owned CDs and DVDs. I realise that some of the blog audience is at that age level while others are younger and are more comfortable in a digital landscape.
I've been able to watch Canadian films through Amazon Prime at an additional price. While they are more expensive than the traditional video stores that are disappearing, the convenience might make up the difference. Being able to see Women Who Act was worth every penny; that film would be worth a buy.
The difficulty is knowing what films to rent as opposed to buy. While choosing to buy a film after renting the film seems like overkill, that option might be more logical in the current landscape.
I do love seeing films in theatres surrounded by like-minded people. The theatres pictured above in Ann Arbor, Michigan are the exception as we noted earlier this month. Canadian films in the United States are rare birds in theatres. Streaming services, buy or rent, are great options. No parking or transportation costs. No having to think about food. I would rather say Canadian films in theatres close to me, but would rather to see the films than miss out on great Canadian films.
photos credit: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan film; me
“It's a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theaters than ever.” — film director Martin Scorsese.
The focus on the discussion over the comments about the Marvel superhero series has been on critical comments by Martin Scorsese and actor Jennifer Aniston about the franchise. In fact, the Marvel franchise is a symptom of a larger issue.
Multiplex theatres dominate the landscape in the United States and Canada. The pressure on them is to show films that are like candy, "theme parks" as Scorsese put it, to reduce risks. The theatre owners can even justify showing the Marvel films on more than a single screen.
Ideally you can show superhero films and independent films side-by-side in a complex with 18 screens. The ratio of those films would say otherwise. To Scorsese's point, fewer independent theatres to show independent films.
"And then you're seeing what's available out there and it's just diminishing and diminishing in terms of, it's big Marvel movies. Or things that I'm not just asked to do or really that interested in living in a green screen," said Jennifer Aniston in an interview for Variety.
If you are looking east on Liberty Street toward State Street in Ann Arbor, MI, you might not think that there are fewer independent theaters. Let's look at what was playing at the State Theatre and Michigan Theatre on U.S. Thanksgiving weekend.
State Theatre — Jojo Rabbit; Parasite; Marriage Story; Pain and Glory; The Lighthouse; and Frankie.
Michigan Theatre — Knives Out; Dark Waters; and The Irishman.
Marriage Story and The Irishman are on Netflix. The multiplexes have shunned Netflix films, leaving them for independent theatres. That is part of Scorsese's concerns, especially since he couldn't get the film done through the usual studio setup.
Ann Arbor is one of the more progressive cities in the United States that embraces independent films: The exception to the trend, not the rule.
Superhero movies fall into this dynamic since they have a lot of action and not as much dialogue. Films that impress Martin Scorsese, Jennifer Aniston, and many other filmgoers have lots of great dialogue, not as much action and explosions.
If the superhero films are potato chips and independent films are vegetables, a good diet can and should have both. A diet mostly of potato chips and similar foods isn't healthy.
The powerful realm of film can handle all different genres of cinema. The Marvel world and Star Wars and everything else that is similar can and should thrive in the marketplace. Those films shouldn't threaten the existence of smaller films and theatres to show those films.
The superhero films crowd the limited options that reduce the impact of independent films and Canadian films to cross over outside Canada. They also take up limited space in Canadian multiplexes. That isn't the fault of the superhero films but their weight in the industry makes an impact.
Our review of Juste la fin du monde | It's Only the End of the World pointed out how little of an impact Xavier Dolan seemed to make on the screen. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan contains a lot more Xavier Dolan but not in the way his Quebec films have done.
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan has Dolan's familiar mother-son issues. Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon play flawed mother figures to sensitive son figures in Jacob Tremblay and Kit Harington. The film is also a peek into the twisted worlds of acting and social media.
Dolan worked as a child actor; his letter as a child to Leonardo DiCaprio was clearly an inspiration. Rupert Turner (Tremblay) shares a correspondence with his favourite actor John F. Donovan (Harington). They keep the correspondence as their own personal secret.
The film takes us through both stories as well as the third story of the adult version of Rupert telling the story to a journalist in Prague (Thandie Newton).
Juste la fin du monde | It's Only the End of the World was the last Canadian film to make the shortlist for what was then the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards. Saying that film is better than this film might be objectively correct. Subjectively, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan has more to offer, good and bad.
The film features Adele’s Rolling in the Deep among significant music tracks. Dolan directed Adele's video for Hello. There was talk of Adele possibly appearing in the film but that did not happen. The Florence + the Machine version of Stand by Me comes at an emotionally meaningful moment. Donovan and his brother sing along with Hanging By A Moment by Lifehouse. Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve runs through the end credits. There are a few music video type moments in the film.
Such as the nature of a film critic: I couldn't help but think of Denys Arcand's Stardom while watching The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.
The comparisons are obvious: A French-language Quebecois film director doing a film in English about social media and the price of fame. Arcand had done Love and Human Remains in 1993, 7 years before Stardom came out in 2000.
The styles of the films and filmmakers are different. There are very few, if any, as sharp about famous people as Stardom. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan also belongs high up on that list.
This might explain why Arcand and Dolan did these films in English. Arcand hasn't done a film in English since Stardom.
"This is a story about intolerance, This is a story about how a business has been so scared to lose a public it claims illiterate and small-minded that has basically kept it illiterate and small-minded for decades." Rupert Turner as an adult gives the audience this reminder in the middle of the film. We don't know if this is a marker for Dolan or the audience as to why we are here. Reminders are good in life; not always in the middle of the film.
The cohesion is a mess. The 123-minute film drags in most of the first hour. The film actually gets a lot better when Dolan focuses on the mother-son relationships. Dolan is throws in bullying, social media, and a lot of other luggage.
John F. Donovan is a tortured human being in a lot of ways, but he isn't that interesting. One could blame this on the casting of Kit Harington. If Donovan were actually interesting, his character wouldn't be as messed up as Donovan needs to be in the film.
The adult Rupert Turner tells this story that isn't really his. His character doesn't know that much from the letters, so Turner telling the story to the journalist (Newton) feels false.
When Jessica Chastain was cut from The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, Dolan pointed out that the original cut was more than 4 hours long. The length of time is ideal but you feel like 25 minutes could be removed and replaced with more interesting content.
Dolan shoots scenes with such intimacy. This is Sam and Rupert Turner in a rare tender moment about how she will fight for him even if he struggles to fight for himself. At different points in the film, Dolan shoots up at Sam (Portman) to convey one idea and at another point, shoots down at her for different reasons. How the letters from Donovan are in green ink. Small but significant details. Most filmmakers don't have the insight and care Dolan puts into his films.
Dolan sparks wonderful performances from women, especially in mother-type roles. We mentioned Portman and Sarandon as flawed, complex maternal characters. Kathy Bates as Donovan's manager plays a maternal role in a straightforward, no-nonsense approach. Amara Karan plays Turner's teacher with a warmth and compassion toward the bullying Turner suffers.
Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace) has a limited role as a fellow actor on Donovan's TV series. She offers a soft, thoughtful touch in a key scene. Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek) doesn't offer that soft, maternal touch as Donovan's relationship partner. Her character has a sharp tongue and will make you forget Stevie Budd in a heartbeat.
Jacob Tremblay understands that fan is short for fanatic. His wired energy in playing Rupert Turner can seem too manic for Natalie Portman's mother character, but Tremblay gets that energy spot-on for that character.
Jared Keeso (Letterkenny) plays the more even keeled brother to Donovan. Keeso plays the brother character as secondary to Donovan in a late-night talk show sidekick fashion but without the jealousy so often seen in such characters.
There are a lot of small parts with talented people who know how to make their parts shine. Ari Millen (Orphan Black) has little to do on screen but plays his creepy, annoying part at just the right tone. Dolan knows how to make each actor feel special even in a limited role.
Dolan wrote the screenplay with fellow actor and writer Jacob Tierney. The writing is sharp and layered. Sarandon's character has very realistic dialogue for exactly who she is.
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan doesn't qualify as a Canadian film case study since there are Canadian elements in the film. The film was shot in Montréal, Prague, London, and New York City. The cast is international with a healthy mix of Canadian actors in the mix. Tremblay, Hampshire, Keeso, Gadon, and Millen shine on the screen. Dolan and Hampshire both appeared in Good Neighbours, a Canadian film set in Montréal that is mostly in English. Good Neighbours was written and directed by Jacob Tierney, co-writer of The Death and Life of John F. Donovan with Dolan.
A Xavier Dolan film with the editing balance and sensibility of Juste la fin du monde | It's Only the End of the World and the energy and script of The Death and Life of John F. Donovan would be outstanding. Neither film can match up with Dolan's first 5 films, even Tom at the Farm. These films are worth a closer look especially Donovan for the genius elements of Dolan's work.
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is a flawed film in many ways. The film also has great dialogue and wonderful acting performances. You almost certainly won't love this film but you can't totally hate the film. If you have a great deal of patience and you appreciate what Xavier Dolan brings to the screen, you will like this film. If you want to teach your students how not to edit a film, you will watch this film. If you love Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon or any of the other famous people in this film, watch and fast forward to those parts of the film.
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan debuted at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is playing at least through December 19 in theaters in Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Houston, Kansas City, Tampa, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Phoenix. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is also available on VOD in the United States.
