Curling (2010)

Set on the fringe of society, in a remote part of the countryside, Curling takes a keen look at the unusual private life of a father and his daughter. Between his unremarkable jobs, ... See full summary »

Director:

Denis Côté

Writer:

Denis Côté (screenplay)

Stars:

Emmanuel Bilodeau, Philomène Bilodeau, Roc LaFortune

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emmanuel Bilodeau	...	Jean-Francois Sauvageau
Philomène Bilodeau	...	Julyvonne Sauvageau
Roc LaFortune	...	Kennedy
Sophie Desmarais	...	Isabelle
Muriel Dutil	...	Odile
Yves Trudel	...	Yvan
Johanne Haberlin	...	Rosie
Anie-Pascale Robitaille	...	Mireille
Olivier Aubin	...	Policier
Geoffrey Gaquere	...	Optométriste (as Geoffrey Gaquère)
Raoul Fortier-Mercier	...	Gamin victime
Jérémy Fidèle-Côté	...	Gamin bowling
Simon Bourassa-Doiron	...	Ami d'Isabelle
Benoit Lapierre	...	Homme Vus
Hugo Giroux	...	Gardien de prison

Storyline

Set on the fringe of society, in a remote part of the countryside, Curling takes a keen look at the unusual private life of a father and his daughter. Between his unremarkable jobs, Jean-François Blain devotes an awkward energy to Julyvonne. The fragile balance of their relationship will be jeopardized by some very dreary circumstances.

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Plot Keywords:

curling | heart of gold | naive young woman | real life father and daughter playing father and daughter | bowling alley | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [ca]

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Release Date:

26 October 2011 (France)

Filming Locations:

Hemingford, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nihilproductions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Introducing Philomène Bilodeau, Emmanuel Bilodeau's real-life daughter

User Reviews

Intriguing plot, starts promising for one hour, but heading nowhere towards the end

This is a story about a not-so-interesting father and his daughter, who has been shielded from external influences for 12 years. It goes as far as not even having attended any school. The film opens with that remarkable conclusion by an optometrist, who is asking questions why she comes so late with her eye problems, because she should have had problems long before with the blackboard during classes. From that moment on, this peculiar situation (for us) enfolds step by step.

The situation in and around the house is portrayed in a number of short scenes, where indeed (as they say) pictures tell more than 1,000 words. I very much admire that part of this film. The same recipe is followed when showing where the father works, and the barely existing relationships with his colleagues. We are showed around in 50 minutes, while we all are wondering what is going to happen. A lot of extra tension is particularly created when the daughter finds a pile of dead bodies in the woods.

However, the story reaches a dead point after the first (promising) hour. I did not see it heading anywhere, and I see no moral nor a conclusion either. We see no real progress in the contacts with his colleagues. And neighbors are kept at a safe distance (at best) or chased away (often). And what may be the purpose of the father leaving his house and wandering around, without showing any concern how his daughter will cope alone in the house.

I wonder about all these open ends. Maybe I expected too much after having read the intriguing synopsis? I think that the given plot could be turned much more in our advantage. All the binding elements were there, only to be picked up and mixed in order to create a compelling film.