Emotional Arithmetic (2007)

Director:

Paolo Barzman

Writers:

Matt Cohen (novel)
Jefferson Lewis (written by)

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Semi-retired university professor David Winters and his wife and former student Melanie Winters née...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Susan Sarandon	...	Melanie Winters
Christopher Plummer	...	David Winters
Gabriel Byrne	...	Christopher Lewis
Roy Dupuis	...	Benjamin Winters
Max von Sydow	...	Jakob Bronski
Dakota Goyo	...	Timmy Winters
Domini Blythe	...	Jane Radley
Kris Holden-Ried	...	Young Jakob (as Kris Holden-Reid)
Regan Jewitt	...	Young Melanie
Alexandre Nachi	...	Young Christopher
Maéva Nadon	...	Girl on Bicycle (as Maeva Nadon)
Jean-François Blanchard	...	Red Cross Worker
Renee Madeline Le Guerrier	...	Red Cross Worker (as René-Madeleine Leguerrier)
Yvon S. Aubé	...	Gendarme
Robert Richard	...	Soldier

Directed by
Paolo Barzman

Writing credits
Matt Cohen		(novel)
Jefferson Lewis		(written by)

Produced by
Paolo Barzman	....	executive producer
Robin Cass	....	executive producer
Avi Federgreen	....	associate producer
Suzanne Girard	....	producer
José Lacelle	....	line producer
Anna Stratton	....	producer

Original Music by
Normand Corbeil

Cinematography by
Luc Montpellier

Film Editing by
Arthur Tarnowski

Casting by
Andrea Kenyon		(casting: Canada)
Heidi Levitt
Randi Wells		(casting: Canada)

Production Design by
Jean-François Campeau

Set Decoration by
Elise de Blois

Costume Design by
Nicoletta Massone

Makeup Department
Ma Kalaadevi Ananda	....	key makeup artist: for Ms Sarandon (as Marilyn Carbone)
Jocelyne Bellemare	....	key makeup artist
Kathy Kelso	....	makeup artist
Félix Larivière	....	key hair stylist
Magali Métivier	....	makeup assistant
Geneviève Primeau	....	additional hairstylist
Sandy Sokolowski	....	key hairstylist: for Ms Sarandon
Jade Theoret	....	assistant hairstylist
Adrianna Velbert	....	makeup assistant (as Adriana Verbert)

Production Management
Patrice Bujold	....	assistant unit manager
Claude-Andrée Du Mesnil	....	assistant unit manager
Avi Federgreen	....	post-production supervisor
José Lacelle	....	production manager
Patrick Legault	....	unit manager
Jean-Paul Mageren	....	post-production manager
Richard Watkins	....	head of post-production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandia Faucon	....	third assistant director
Jacques Laberge	....	first assistant director
Théo Thivierge	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Myriam Bergeron-Fournier	....	assistant set props
Frederic Bouchard	....	painter
Nicolas Campeau	....	swing gang
Nicola Corbo	....	swing gang
Louis Gascon	....	set props
Erik Gosselin	....	special creative props
Audrey Harvey	....	scenic painter
Marie-Claude L'Heureux	....	art department coordinator
Marie-Hélène Lavoie	....	assistant decorator
Sébastien Lebeau	....	swing gang
Lise Pharand	....	props mistress
Marc Rivard	....	painter
Stéphanie Robitaille	....	swing gang (as Stephane Robitaille)
Jean-Michel Rossignol	....	special props maker
Alain Rouillier	....	swing gang
Jerome Zurfluh	....	set dresser
Jerome Zurfluh	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Marc Aubin	....	adr loop group
David Boulton	....	adr recordist (as David Bolton)
Jocelyn Caron	....	foley recording mixer (as Jo Caron)
Steph Carrier	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Stephane Carrier)
Pierre Castonguay	....	boom operator
Sue Conley	....	adr editor
Jenna Dalla Riva	....	foley recording assistant
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist
Luc Dubois	....	adr loop group
Guy Francoeur	....	foley artist
Jill Frappier	....	adr loop group
Louise Gauthier	....	adr loop group
Peter Gibson	....	general manager
Garnet Harding	....	adr loop group
Bill Higley	....	adr recordist
Bobby Johanson	....	adr recordist
Benoit Leduc	....	adr recordist
Mandy Ley	....	mix assistant
Dave J. MacNeil	....	adr loop group
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
David McCallum	....	dialogue editor
Steve Medeiros	....	second assistant sound editor
Dimitri Médard	....	sound recordist
John Naslen	....	adr recordist
James Nichols	....	dolby sound consultant
Sasha Newman Oktan	....	adr loop group
Brent Pickett	....	first assistant sound editor
Nadine Rife	....	foley assistant
David Rose	....	sound effects editor (as Dave Rose)
Lou Solakofski	....	sound mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	supervising sound editor
Alex Tong	....	sound studio coordinator
Don White	....	foley recording mixer

Special Effects by
Amélie Bertrand	....	assistant to department coordinator
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
André Laforest	....	special effects technician
David Loveday	....	special effects technician
Luc Therrien	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
David Alexander	....	digital effects artist: Switch VFX
Jean-François Bachand	....	visual effects
Barb Benoit	....	digital compositor
Genevieve Boisvert	....	visual effects
Jon Campfens	....	visual effects supervisor
Sonya Carey	....	visual effects coordinator
Tony Cybulski	....	digital compositor
Peter Denomme	....	visual effects producer
Gudrun Heinze	....	senior digital compositor: Switch VFX
Jef Lonn	....	digital compositor
Christian Moreton	....	designer: text
Geoff Wigmore	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Alain Bérard	....	stunt double: for Ms Sarandon
Marc Désourdy	....	stunt coordinator
François Gauthier	....	stunt double: for Mr. Byrne (as Frank Gauthier)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Belanger	....	grip
Jocelyn Bertrand	....	grip
Joost Clerinx	....	best boy grip
Jean-François Dasylva-LaRue	....	electric
David Dollé	....	grip
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
Thierry Fargeau	....	second assistant b camera
Martin Gagnon	....	grip
Mathieu Gagnon	....	additional electric
Sebastien Gariepy	....	additional electric
Merlin Girard	....	camera trainee
Emeric Grunebaum	....	key grip
Serge Hughes	....	second assistant camera
Sean Jensen	....	Steadicam operator
Sean Jensen	....	camera operator
Sylvain Jouvet	....	grip
Soupharak Keoborakoth	....	second assistant b camera
Luc Leblanc	....	best boy electric
Martine Leclerc	....	first assistant b camera
Gilbert Lucu	....	grip
Dan Lynn	....	electric
Jean-François Lépine	....	grip
Marco Lévesque	....	grip
Michel Parent	....	genny operator
Martin Protat	....	second assistant b camera
Daniel Schwartzberg	....	gaffer
Jocelyn Simard	....	first assistant camera
Marc-André Thibeault	....	grip (as Marc-Andre Thibault)
Martin Vaillancourt	....	grip

Casting Department
Lauren Fernandes	....	casting associate
Shawn Roberts	....	assistant casting director: Canada
Johanne Titley	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chantal Cardinal	....	dresser
Catherina Chamberland	....	key dresser (as Caterina Chamberland)
Priscilla Collin	....	seamstress
Diane Daoust	....	wardrobe mistress
Jacques Doucet	....	cutter
Tereska Gesing	....	dresser
Geneviève Hébert	....	assistant dresser
Mathilde Lemaire-Barrette	....	dresser (as Mathilde Lemaine-Barette)
Alain Vallée	....	costume coordinator

Editorial Department
Isabelle Arseneault	....	post-production coordinator: Canada
Lex Batten	....	project supervisor
Pierre Cadieux	....	director of post-production
Louis Casado	....	color timer
Rob Gyorgy	....	on-line editor (as Rev. Rob Gyorgy)
Gordon Hashimoto	....	assistant editor
Ryan Kuba	....	digital imaging production coordinator
Mark Kueper	....	digital imaging colorist
Veronique Latte	....	post-production coordinator: Canada
Eric Myles	....	on-line editor
Andrew Pascoe	....	digital film technician
Brian Reid	....	digital imaging manager
Mark Stevens	....	video coordinator
Anna Wasylenki	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Jonathan Allen	....	score mixer
Jonathan Allen	....	score recordist
Colette Barber	....	studio manager
Andy Brown	....	orchestra contractor
Vic Fraser	....	copyist
Andy Kitchen	....	music assistant
Richard Lancaster	....	music assistant
The London Metropolitan Orchestra	....	orchestra
Jenny O'Grady	....	contractor: metro voices

Transportation Department
Michel Bilodeau	....	driver
Christian Bourque	....	cast driver
Daniel Brisson	....	driver
René Brisson	....	driver
Nick Carasoulis	....	cast driver
Denis Doiron	....	driver
Philippe Gilbert	....	cast driver
Louis-Etienne Hebert-Racine	....	office driver
Steve Leblanc	....	truck production assistant (as Steeve Leblanc)
Bernard Lizé	....	driver
Richard Marsan	....	driver
Andre Michaud	....	cast driver
Stephanie Michaud	....	additional driver: office
Tony Pelletier	....	driver
Michel Perreault	....	picture car coordinator
Bernard Sills	....	driver

Other crew
Deena Aziz	....	clearances coordinator
Lex Batten	....	project supervisor: Technicolor
Isabelle Beaupre	....	back set production assistant
Audrey Bergeron-Rivard	....	production assistant
André Boucley	....	production assistant
Alain Bourassa	....	on-set playback
Catherine Brelet	....	assistant: to Mr. von Sydow (as Catherine von Sydow)
Claudia Bérubé	....	office assistant
Grace Carnale-Davis	....	sales executive
Valerie Caron	....	production assistant
Nathalie Cecyre	....	production coordinator
Simon Champagne	....	production assistant
Ian Cooper	....	legal counsel
Lili-Marlene Couture	....	stand-in
Manon Célestin	....	assistant: third assistant director
Caroline Davignon	....	set production assistant
Chantal Dufresne	....	unit publicist
Aleck Duncan	....	assistant: to Ms Sarandon
Greg Dunfield	....	video operations: manager
Mark Edlitz	....	assistant: to Ms Sarandon
François Fauteux	....	location manager
Avi Federgreen	....	post supervisor
Claude Forest	....	insurance broker
Martin Fradette	....	set runner
Jocelyne Gagné	....	payroll
Francois Garcia	....	sales manager
Paul Gillot	....	production assistant
Marie-José Harel	....	legal counsel
Ron Hay	....	legal counsel
France Lachapelle	....	script supervisor
Mark Lambert	....	stand-in
Nathalie Laporte	....	production accountant
Steve Leblanc	....	truck production assistant
Marie-Laure Lemaire Viens	....	assistant set production assistant
Julia Lenardon	....	dialogue coach
Genevieve Letendre	....	additional production secretary
Sandy Lewis	....	post-production accountant
Marie Markovic	....	sales assistant
Mel Martin	....	assistant to producers
Christine McManus	....	assistant: to Mr. Byrne
Caroline Morissette	....	trainee script supervisor
Karen Muzerall	....	tutor
Delphine Kouadio N'Goran	....	accounting clerk
Natasha Paris	....	assistant to producers
Catherine Perron	....	production assistant
Ariane Petel-Despots	....	production assistant
Winston Phillips	....	client services: film lab
Edith Plourde	....	bookkeeper
Monique Proulx	....	script consultant
Tina Purchio	....	production secretary
Sandra Richmond	....	legal counsel
Marcel Robidoux	....	craft service
Marie-Noelle Roy	....	production assistant
Sara Sajedi	....	production assistant
Pascale Savage-Bouchard	....	assistant craft service (as Pascale Savage-Blanchard)
Philippe Soucy	....	stand-in: Max Von Sydow
Yad Vashem	....	images: and materials provide by
Brian White	....	client services: video
Perry Zimel	....	creative consultant

Thanks
Matt Cohen	....	dedicated to: 1942-1989

Production Companies

• Productions Bleu Blanc Rouge
• Triptych Media
• Arithmetic Ontario Productions
• BBR Productions

Distributors

• Image Entertainment
• Media International Pictures (2010) (United Arab Emirates) (TV) (Video)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2007) (Romania) (all media)

Special Effects

• Switch VFX (visual effects)
• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantor
• Téléfilm Canada  funding

Also Known As:

"Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning" - USA (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language

Runtime:

99 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Canada:14A | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12

Company:

Productions Bleu Blanc Rouge

Quotes:

Timmy Winters:This is stupid.
Benjamin Winters:Why?
Timmy Winters:Because you're not supposed to separate the yolks from the whites. That's not why eggs were invented.

I want to punch the person who wrote the DVD packaging

My first reaction to this film: It sucks beans.

But I gave it a lot of thought afterwards, and now the morning after, I think it is a very compelling picture worthy of a 2nd watch.

First I'll tell you why I initially hated it, maybe sparing you the misery. Everything about this film is extremely deceptive, setting up emotional expectations that are never fulfilled. The USA title "Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning" is way off the mark, and the DVD packaging is awful, describing it as "a tender love story of redemption, healing and reconciliation." HUH?? Did the marketing department even bother to watch the movie? If you watch this movie expecting a sentimental tear-jerker or a "tender love story", you'll find yourself hurling popcorn at the screen in disgust. It is none of those things, despite the sweeping, lush cinematography and Hallmark-greeting-card setting (complete with melodramatic musical score that does its best to yank our emotions to the surface). Whether deliberate or not, the film is very misleading in that respect.

If not a cryfest, what do you get instead? You get a marvellous, philosophical question that goes to the root of what we are as human beings. What is our job on this planet, and what are our limits of duty vs. survival? The movie investigates four major characters struggling with the same question, each taking a markedly different approach. Four peoples' lives have been twisted out of shape by the injustice of humanity. How do they react? One (Gabriel Byrne) suppresses the trauma under a veneer of British civility & reticence*. Another (Max von Sydow) has had the memories forcibly erased by chemicals and exectroshock experiments, though he still retains an inexplicable connection. A third character (Susan Sarandon) obsessively collects her memories, appointing herself as a sort of librarian of human injustice and in so doing, starts to lose her mind. And a fourth character (Christopher Plummer) is a secondary victim, suffering by association and trying his best to move ahead while realizing the impossibility of that notion.

The dynamic is incredibly well played. There is no clearcut answer, and each character plays against the others hoping to find the route to peace. I didn't find this to be an emotional film but instead a very intellectual puzzle. The original title "Emotional Arithmetic", while not as poetic or appealing as "Autumn Hearts", is definitely more appropriate if you choose to view the film as I described it. It is an almost scientific approach to the manipulation of emotions, bringing us back to the main question: is our job to hold on to the past, like living history books, toruted & martyred for the sake of teaching future generations? Or is our job to bury the ugly face of past injustice and focus on moving forward ourselves? However way you choose, the answer is represented by one (or more) of the four characters.

This film is a slow-paced philosophical soul teaser wrapped up in a bright-coloured (emotional) package. There's definitely a lot going on, much like a Wim Wenders film ("Lisbon Story", "Paris Texas") or a Hirokazu Koreeda film ("Maborosi", "After Life") though not nearly that slow. Another film I might compare it to is "The Shipping News" by Lasse Hallström but that comparison is mainly due to the director's way of using landscape & nature to create a mood. One thing about this film that no one will deny is that the setting (Quebec in the early Autumn) is about as beautiful & dreamy as any place on Earth.

*Yes, I know Gabriel Byrne is Irish, not British!