Les mauvaises herbes

What a surprisingly delightful film. It unfolds, always slightly off balance,from one unexpected development to the next. It starts off as a kind of crime farce, with a very funny Chaplinesque chase that turns into a scene from a Beckett production with Alexis Martin in full 18th century garb walking down a snow clad rural Quebec road in mid winter. Boulanger's eye for the sublimely absurd is impeccable and he serves it up effortlessly over and over. The actors are terrific and the writing is both hilarious and, finally, extremely emotional in a restrained way. On top of that, the cinematography is brilliant both in its scenic composition and in its luscious colour palettes. I had no idea what to expect from this film and was thinking perhaps it was just a Quebec version of Homegrown. But it is far more sophisticated and complex in its ambition and its final accomplishment. Highly recommended.