Rafäel Ouellet’s Derrière moi is a film considered part of the local new wave of cinema. Borrowing heavily from the slow, unfocused filmmaking of Eastern Europe, it is not an easy watch, but it certainly pays off in the end. Read my full review of this tale of a destructive friendship between two girls. Read more »
DVD Previews | 
May 4, 2009 | Comments Off
It is with great patience that one can come to appreciate Rafaël Ouellet’s sophomore effort, Derrière moi (Behind Me). It borrows heavily from the domain of independent film we have come to expect from countries like Romania. The camerawork is handheld and imperfect, and tends to hold on scenes for extended periods of time, as if trying to catch something spontaneous. While the start is relatively slow and its direction frustratingly unclear, the allure of the relationship between the leads and an ending that is as abrupt as it is enlightening made this a surprise - and one that I only started to really appreciate mid-viewing. Read more »
Film Festivals, Film Reviews | February 25, 2009 | Comments Off
Tonight marks the launch of the Rendez-vous du cinema quebecois running through to the end of the month. While the big tickets for most will include known Quebecois stars and directors, the real treat for filmgoers is discovering new talent and experiencing new audio/visual pleasures from our home province. One such discovery is director Denis Cote who has two films playing at the festival. Elle veut le chaos shot entirely in B&W and about a woman dealing with her psychologically unstable mother has the distinction of having been named one of Cahiers du Cinema film critic Jean-Michel Frodon’s top ten films of 2008. Read more »
Film Festivals | February 18, 2009 | Comments Off
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