The Station Agent

Yesterday I saw the American independent feature, The Station Agent, which is showing tonight as the Anniversary Gala as part of the Atlantic Film Festival. Thomas McCarthy directs a great cast in the story of Finbar McBride, who wants to be left alone in the train station that he has inherited. Born with dwarfism, he is short and always the centre of attention. With two quirky friends he becomes involved in their lives and they all learn something about each other. The independent scene in the US now is hot and it’s the place where you get to see great actors and stories that would work in a completely different way if you had celebrities in the roles. It’s an appropriate film for the Anniversary Gala as it shows how independent films now have become closer to the mainstream without becoming bland or boring. The film won the Audience Choice Award at Sundance and is definitely worth seeing.

September 18, 2003 , , , ,

Les Invasions Barbares

Denys Arcand is Quebec’s top director…he’s made some of my favourite films, including Jésus de Montréal, as well as Le Déclin de L’Empire Américain and this year Les Invasions Barbares is the closing gala at the Atlantic Film Festival. It kicked off a festival run at Cannes where Marie-Josée Croze won best actress.

I loved the film…I enjoyed it more than the original Déclin as the new film happens within a different context in a different world. While the characters are similar, the introduction of the children of the characters provides new opportunities to explore contemporary Québecois culture and social issues. It’s very intellectual, but I found it surprisingly moving. The film moved along smoothly and then it was over… it didn’t feel as long as it should and I’ll definitely see it again. It’s playing Friday night as the closing gala at the Atlantic Film Festival.

September 18, 2003 , , , , , ,