Reviews

I saw this movie when it first hit the theatres, and could not figure out why everyone seemed to turn on it. It was no more a steal of Dead Poet's Society than it was of The Paper Chase. The Soundtrack was great fun and it was so cool to see Tori Amos show up in this movie, and did nothing to distract from the story. Whatever issues we may have today with Feminism or the women's movement, it is good to be reminded that on the 50's and 60's, freedom and political power for women was the good fight. I also thought the movie managed to avoid many of the insipid cliches that go along with inspiring teacher movies, while presenting a complex and interesting main character. As a humble movie goer, it seems to me that sometimes, reviewers are afraid to honestly review a bad movie (A.I., Kundun), and other times seem to turn on a movie that isn't that bad. This movie is not nearly as bad as you would expect from reading its reviews.

This is definitely a character based movie. As such it's never a total waste to watch Ian McKellan work - playing someone trying to come to terms with the difficulties and poor choices in his past, and Deborah Unger truly nails her character - a woman who is bruised and bitter but determined not to give up on life. It's always a treat to see a movie filmed in Canada that doesn't pretend to be somewhere else. Alas the resolution seemed a little too easy and contrived, and I found the soundtrack monotonous and intrusive.

saw this film at the toronto int film fest. it was a little on the slow side but i find it is staying with me much more than many of the other films i saw. the potrayal of iceland shows a locale that is bleakly beautiful, forbidding and lonesome. i was especially taken with the performance of elodie bouchez. her portrayal was controlled but intense - i was drawn in and did not want to take my eyes off her. worth a look.