Cal_T5X Reviews

Young Triffie's Been Made Away With (2006)

Very black comedy

[6/10 · 14 April 2007]

Young Triffie is darkly-themed, even for a black comedy. There is little graphic violence, but in addition to a girl's death prepare to stomach alcoholism, drug addiction, child abuse, madness and worse. Strangely, there is also a lot of humour. In that department Mary Walsh gives the film's greatest laughs as the brash, gossipy and all-knowing postmistress. Still, the film is too heavy to be a lighthearted romp.

The plot is fairly well-constructed. It is more compelling than the murder plot in "Bon Cop Bad Cop", another Canadian film with fish out of water. Ranger Alan Hepditch (Fred Ewanuick) is an Ichabod Crane-like misfit who is the laughing stock of the Newfoundland rangers. He is sent away to Swyers' Harbour, ostensibly to investigate mysterious sheep attacks. In fact his smarmy Sargeant (Colin Mochrie) simply wants him out of the way. However, just before he arrives a local girl's body is found washed up on the beach and Hepditch is the only lawman in town.

Gradually Hepditch fumbles and stumbles his way through the mystery guided (and sometimes misguided) by the predictably colourful townspeople. These include the local doctor(Rémy Girard), his wife(Andrea Martin), a young admirer of the deceased (Jonny Harris), a menacing pastor (Andy Jones) and the leader of a militant Ladies Auxillary (fellow CODCO veteran Cathy Jones).

Overall I enjoyed this offbeat film. However I think it would have been better if so many depressing elements were not piled one on top of another. Sometimes I felt a lingering sadness that interfered with the comic relief scenes that followed. Like my fellow poster, I felt the cartoon and black and white scenes were unnecessary. If you are willing to put up with the flaws that I have mentioned, Young Triffie has a passable story and some good laughs.

Sharkwater (2006)

A good balance between fun and information

[9/10 · 14 April 2007]

This film does an incredible job of showing sharks as they really are : intelligent, graceful creatures who, like everything else on earth, just want to survive. The film debunks popular (and ridiculous) misconceptions about "bloodthirsty" sharks with a few simple facts and footage showing how sharks actually behave. Clearly some humans are far more cruel, wasteful and downright despicable than these sensitive ocean dwellers.

The film not only has stunning undersea visuals, but a compelling human story full of danger, pathos, humour and suspense. I don't agree with everything that the filmmakers say and do, but I admire their courage in fighting for the rights of these misunderstood and critically important animals.

Sharkwater shows that it is in our own best interest to protect sharks, who are a keystone predator of ocean life. How? Most of our oxygen comes from ocean phytoplankton. What happens if the number plankton-eaters gets out of control? Sharks control the many populations under them, effectively keeping the food chain in balance. The loss of sharks could cause one of middle species to explode in population while the others die off. Sharks stabilize the ocean's ecosystem, and this same web of life allows us to live and breathe.

Sharks may seem distant, but indirectly your welfare is connected to theirs. Some parts of the film are a visual treat while other are painful to watch, but overall the film strikes a good balance between warning and hope. I think it is a must-see.

Open Heart (2004 TV Movie)

Worth a look

[6/10 · 24 April 2005]

Open Heart is a believable story about what might happen to a nurse who asks too many questions. Sherry Cardinal (Megan Follows) works in pediatric surgery at a busy New Brunswick hospital. The cautious, careful Sherry quickly clashes with the arrogant, breezy new surgeon Dr. Kenning (Raoul Bhaneja), whose reputation seem too good to be true. Tragically, many of his very sick young patients do not survive their surgeries. Were their deaths inevitable, or does the doctor have more bravado than experience?

The characters are familiar to anyone who has ever worked in the medical field: the overconfident hotshot, the blindly unreceptive superior, the cynical, stressed-out underling, and the tight-lipped colleagues. It's portrayal of an insular, rigidly class-conscious staff is quite accurate, and it conveys well the demigod status of physicians and the chilly exclusion shown to dissenters. Unfortunately some plot contrivances, obviously telegraphed scenes and over-dramatic moments detract from the movie's strengths.

Despite its shortcomings I recommend this film to anyone concerned about Canada's health-care situation, since it offers an accurate look at some of the dilemmas that thinly-spread staff often face. Hopefully it won't scare patients away from hospitals but will instead give a better understanding of the staff's viewpoint, enabling patients to know their rights and stand up for themselves.

Hide and Seek (2005)

Run-of-the-mill

[5/10 · 21 April 2005]

A psychiatrist (DeNiro), haunted by the recent death of his wife, relocates upstate with his daughter (Fanning) to an ominously silent rural neighbourhood. Hide and Seek is standard horror fare and delivers few decent chills. The backwoods setting is suitably creepy and the new neighbours provide a subtle bad vibe without going overboard. But the few other townspeople we meet are simply ridiculous, including DeNiro's cardboard love interest and the dimmest police officer since the Blob.

Violence and gore are surprisingly scarce for an R-rated horror film. Fox delayed shipment of the last reel to prevent spoilers. If only they'd been prevented from spoiling the promising setup with a mediocre movie. A few halfhearted stabs at black humour also fall flat. Horror fans might make a game of predicting all the major plot points ahead of time. Unfortunately that leads to a tedious wait to see every one of those predictions proved right.

Robots (2005)

Entertaining but forgettable

[10 April 2005]

Young Rodney Copperbottom dreams of making it big in the big city and making his humble parents proud. That tells viewers what to expect from Robots, a movie that entertains but leaves no lasting impression. Unfortunately the story - spunky young hero teams up with wacky sidekick to take on evil- is so familiar that impatient viewers will predict events long before they happen. With the exception of always-reliable Robin Williams, the acting is only adequate. However, the dull plot and characters are offset by intricate artwork and a generous dose of humour, and the movie is enjoyable if not memorable.

Ample visual gags, wisecracks and winking movie references (from 2001 to Scarface) provide genuine laughs. The visual design, especially the bustling Robot City, is well constructed and worth a few minutes of open-mouthed amazement. Overall Robots is fine family viewing, although a few scenes are too dark for sensitive young children **SPOILER (I am thinking of the chop shop and especially the fate of the Gasket family) END SPOILER**

The "bad guys hatch dastardly plan" scene subtly echoes sci-fi films such as Soylent Green (the bodies of "Outmodes" are recycled for the next generation)and Gattaca (idealistic outsider and jaded outsider team up to outwit system). An ad campaign titled "Why be you, when you can be new?" aims to send robots rushing out to buy new upgrades, when the only alternative is to become scrap metal. Advertisers have long preyed on our insecurities about our bodies, and I was disappointed to see this theme raised but then ignored: Who will be left behind if opportunity exists only for the flawless?

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Late but great

[8/10 · 26 February 2005]

As a longtime Phantom of the Opera fan, I am pleased to say that the film not only stays true to the popular musical, but adds a new dimension as well. The movie is not quite perfect, but a strong cast, intricate setting and breathtaking Paris scenery are sure to impress viewers. One advantage the film has is that the camera can freely explore the heights, depths, nooks and crannies of the fictitious Opera Populaire. Producer Joel Schumacher generally stays close to Andrew Lloyd Webber's script, although added scenes provide the characters with more of a past and future.

Emmy Rossum is sweetly vulnerable as the innocent young singer Christine. Gerard Butler is darkly seductive as the Phantom, whose longing for love and beauty captivates women young and old. Together they radiate sexual energy, particularly in the song "Point of No Return". On the downside, Butler can never match the hypnotic voice of Michael Crawford, the original London Phantom. Patrick Wilson completes the love triangle as Raoul. Overall he comes off as a nice guy but a bit of a dandy. He lacks Butler's sex appeal but is a competent singer and an effective good guy in a difficult role where most people are cheering for the Phantom.

A first-rate supporting cast also bolsters the film. Minnie Driver savours her role as Prima Donna Carlotta while Victor McGuire plays her foppish beau Piangi. Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow play the hapless theatre managers Firman and Andre. These four vex each other masterfully, providing welcome comic relief. Miranda Richardson plays an expanded role as the mysterious ballet mistress Madam Giry and Jennifer Ellison plays Meg, Giry's daughter and Christine's closest friend.

Unlike the theatre, the film is free to swoop through vast corridors, follow scurrying stagehands and plunge into subterranean rivers. Schumacher uses a journey back through time alongside the elderly Raoul to frame the story. In this respect the film reverses convention: unlike the usual flashback where the past is blurry sepia, here the present is washed-out and dreary while the past is vibrant, opulent, and alive. The chandelier's awakening early in the film is especially enjoyable, a well-constructed visual feast.

Overall I enjoyed the film, and recommend it to fans of Phantom of the Opera and musical theatre in general. The fascinating visual effects and chemistry of the cast make it a fun trip down memory lane. Most of the dialog is sung, so people who dislike musicals are advised to see one of the other fine adaptations of Gaston Leroux's classic. I recommend the Lon Chaney and Claude Rains versions, two very different interpretations of the same character. Chaney makes him a monster, but Rains plays him as a wounded hero. People who loved the musical will relish the chance to hum along with their favorite songs once more.