Gaz Bar Blues (2003)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Louis Bélanger

Writer:

Louis Bélanger (writer)

Release Date:

July 2005 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

This is the story of Mr. Brochu, whose friends like to call "the Boss". He runs his gas station the...

Plot Keywords:

Gas Station | Hold Up | Beautiful Woman | Berlin Wall | Black Bra

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Serge Thériault	...	François Brochu
Gilles Renaud	...	Gaston Savard
Sébastien Delorme	...	Réjean Brochu
Danny Gilmore	...	Guy Brochu
Maxime Dumontier	...	Alain Brochu
Fanny Mallette	...	Nathalie Brochu
Gaston Caron	...	Jos
Gaston Lepage	...	Normand Patry
Daniel Gadouas	...	Yves Michaud
Claude Legault	...	Ti-Pit
Réal Bossé	...	Nelson
Yves Bélanger	...	Coyote
Roger Léger	...	Claude
Vincent Bilodeau	...	Mononc' Boivin
Daniel Brière	...	Inspecteur Gobeil

Also Known As:

Le début de la fin (Canada: French title) (working title)

Runtime:

115 min | Hong Kong:115 min (Hong Kong International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Coop Vidéo de Montréal

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set during the fall of the Berlin Wall, but Alain has Mighty Morphin Power Rangers bed sheets, referencing a series four years later.

Soundtrack:

If You Wanna Love Me

An old meeting place revisited...

Gaz Bar Blues is a good movie, maybe with some dull parts on the way but reminescent of how great these "full service" gas stations were in the past... And how the past clash with present realities...

The "Boss", Serge Theriault, wants to keep the business going on despite a developping Parkinson disease, threatening competition from Self serve stations and how to transfer his business to his three boys. But there's a problem: one wants to go to Berlin to witness the fall of the Wall (we're in 1989), the other wants to play music and the younger one wants to give a try, despite the fact he's 14...

The Gaz Bar is also a meeting place of all kins here, conflicting egos from a quarter-begging tramp to a not-so-stupid blind person, along with a petty thief who uses the gas bar sink as a toilet bowl, a desperate loser who never had a chance with a girl and some wise cracking employees... Add along the cheap customers, the thieves committing hold-ups and the annoying Champlain concession inspector and you got a fine movie here...

Well written, a bit long in some parts and excellent acting. Plus reminescence that the story is based in Quebec city (though it was shot in Montreal), we see the old NHL logo of the Nordiques...

Fact: Champlain was a real gas bar chain in the past, which was bought later by Imperial Oil (Esso), and used to give Expo 67 drinking glasses with each fill-up !

So enjoy the meeting place !