Say what you will, but it’s a big swing! It has some very glaring flaws (unfocused, drags towards the end despite being under 90min), but there’s a lot here to admire! Especially impressed by the depiction of the Canadian inferiority complex, and also the set design.
Also, seeing this right after Universal Language is pretty funny — two radically different depictions of Winnipeg from the same filmmaker!
First thing that stood out: this movie is beautifully shot! Obviously it recalls Wes Anderson quite a bit, particularly in the shots of huge concrete structures dwarfing human subjects, but it retains a human centre in a way that feels much more personal than any Anderson picture I’ve ever seen. There are some moments that don’t totally cohere — this is pretty clearly the work of a young director — but I’m still a big fan, and excited to see what Rankin gets up to next!
I think this is actually a weaker entry in what I might consider a “five star movie.” It’s essentially technically perfect in music, in acting, in writing, in all the various components you could think of as being important to a film. But it doesn’t really speak to me the way that a movie like, say, Fire Walk With Me did, in spite of real technical flaws. And I feel a bit guilty about this — I want to respect and enjoy movies as art rather than mere entertainment, but this feels at odds with how I actually end up responding to them.
There’s a particular scheme a lot of my nightmares tend to follow. The beginning varies, but it always ends with what I call (a bit tongue in cheek) the ‘horrifying revelation.’ In the cold light of day, I typically can’t remember the details, and if I do manage to retain anything, it’s either silly or meaningless without context, the way dreams usually are. But the way it made me feel is easier to remember: my heart in my throat, the…
