The Great Darkened Days (2018)

While a world war rages, Philippe, a draft-dodger from Quebec, takes refuge in the American West, surviving by competing in Charlie Chaplin impersonation contests. As Philippe makes his ... See full summary »

Director:

Maxime Giroux

Writers:

Simon Beaulieu (co-writer), Maxime Giroux (co-writer)

Stars:

Martin Dubreuil, Mike Calchera, Buddy Duress

6 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Martin Dubreuil	...	Philippe
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Calchera	...	Man contest
Buddy Duress	...	Opponent
Romain Duris	...	Lester
Cody Fern	...	Travelling Salesman
Sarah Gadon	...	Helen
Reda Kateb	...	Hector
Walter T. Radabagh	...	Waiter
Lise Roy	...	Philippe's Mother
Eden Sela	...	Musician
Soko	...	Rosie
Luzer Twersky	...	Customer
Clinton Van Arnam	...	Opponent's Friend #2

Storyline

While a world war rages, Philippe, a draft-dodger from Quebec, takes refuge in the American West, surviving by competing in Charlie Chaplin impersonation contests. As Philippe makes his long journey home, he encounters various characters under the sway of a destructive madness borne of the chaotic times. His voyage, both violent and fascinating, is a hallucinatory initiation to the darker side of the American dream.

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | male nudity | charlie chaplin | canada | reference to george s. patton | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Canadian film premiered at TIFF in Toronto in September 2018.

User Reviews

Chilling, Stylish, Dark, yet still Hopeful

In a timeless, parched and depressed landscape, the people who encourage happiness are usually trying to sell something. Philippe is an actor playing Charlie Chaplin who assumes the role in real life. It is a surreal and narcissistic dog eat dog world where misery, addiction and entitlement are rampant. Philippe may be lost, alone and troubled, but he is still hopeful. "You are the ones who are weak," he tells those who would use him for a bit of gold. "you are cowards afraid of doing good." Phillipe is lost and wants to find his way back to something meaningful and good.

Chilling, stylish and dark, The Great Darkened Days is a profoundly personal film for the director who struggled to tell a story true to his vision and as independently as possible from the material world. The film setting is in a fantastic ghost town of Nevada. The Great Darkened Days is a little forced and awkward, but it tells an essential story with parallels to modern times. Seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

Details

Official Sites:

-La Bande-annonce

Country:

Canada

Language:

French English

Release Date:

21 August 2019 (France)

Also Known As:

The Great Darkened Days

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metafilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1