Curtis's Charm (1995)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

John L'Ecuyer

Writers:

Jim Carroll (story)
John L'Ecuyer (writer)

Release Date:

18 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

This film, based on a Jim Carroll short story, recounts the tale of Curtis and his encounter with voodoo...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Voodoo | Dream | Independent Film

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Maurice Dean Wint	...	Curtis
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Jim
Rachael Crawford	...	Cookie
Barbara Barnes-Hopkins	...	Voodoo Ma
Aron Tager	...	Park Worker
Hugh Dillon	...	Spitting White Trash Thug
Trent Carr	...	Thug
Dale Harrison	...	Thug
Brian Clancy	...	The Killer
John Dondertman	...	Furry Pimp
Bruce McDonald	...	Man in Restaurant
Bruno Bryniarski	...	Dealer
Mary Sylwester	...	Hooker
KEi	...	Junkie
Trevor Black	...	Junkie

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Independent Films

Quotes:

Jim: I know you have a chemical disposition for being impatient, so I'll get to the point.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Soundtrack:

Last of the Red Hot Fools

A fantastic example of great Canadian film-making!

Aside from this being a superlative example of Canadian film-making at its best, this is also, in my opinion, one of the finest movies ever made about the lives of the drug addicted.

Shot in grainy black & white in and around Toronto's grittier areas, the film's director creates a gritty backdrop for what is, ultimately, a comedic story about one friend helping another through their crack-induced paranoia, all while facing his own past demons in the process.

One of Canada's greatest actors, Callum Kieth Rennie, plays the mellow, now in recovery junkie character of "Jim" (ultimately portraying Jim Carroll, NYC based poet, most famous for books like "The Basketball Diaries", his role in Andy Wharhols Factory scene, junkie-culture writer, and so on...) off of Maurice Dean Wint's fast-paced, hyper-paranoid, cracked-out "Curtis." The movie uses many voice over tracks of Jim's thoughts wonderfully, none of them intrusive, all in context, and all adding to rather than distracting from the story's content.

Director John L'Ecuyer's film-making style is concise, clear, and real, without being overly-dramatic or heavy (considering the subject matter). His beautiful use of old black & white footage of Santeria/Voudon dance rituals during the opening of the film is fantastic, as is the positive portrayal of voudon charms and their healing powers (whether merely psychologically healing or real - no matter) is a welcomed breath of fresh air in a world filled with films casting inaccurate and negative views on a benevolent, much-misrepresented, belief system.

For anyone who wants a movie that represents drug culture in a non-hyped-up, down to earth way, "Curtis's Charm" is for you!

~T.Paul