The art houses of big cities like Los Angeles and New York thrived on films like this, shot on what looks like 16 mm and could definitely not be seen on a really big movie screen. That being said, many of these films have become classics or at least highly regarded pieces of art, but in reflection, they are not appealing to the general film going public. Great performances by Robert Shaw and Mary Ure as a married Irish couple who have recently settled in Montreal are definite pluses for a film that struggles to maintain interest, with poor sound recording had me struggling to hear what the actors were saying, and after a while, that hampered my enjoyment of the film.
As a basically decent struggling immigrant, Shaw does have the audience on his side as he goes from employer to employer looking for work, usually turn down because he doesn't have a degree even though he has the experience. Ure is equally wonderful as his wife who struggles to deal with his justified frustrations. The cheap filming does really add to the grittiness and harshness of the reality of his existence, utilizing the locations shot in Montreal to give some life to a depressing story. If this didn't have such serious adult scenes that got the attention of Independence theater owners, this would have been much better premiering on TV. Blow up the picture several dozen times, and it's a blurry mess.
As a basically decent struggling immigrant, Shaw does have the audience on his side as he goes from employer to employer looking for work, usually turn down because he doesn't have a degree even though he has the experience. Ure is equally wonderful as his wife who struggles to deal with his justified frustrations. The cheap filming does really add to the grittiness and harshness of the reality of his existence, utilizing the locations shot in Montreal to give some life to a depressing story. If this didn't have such serious adult scenes that got the attention of Independence theater owners, this would have been much better premiering on TV. Blow up the picture several dozen times, and it's a blurry mess.