Film Review: Bluff (2007)

Bluff is an engaging piece of film-making from Quebec. In the tradition of weaving several unrelated stories around one inanimate object (famous examples being 1965's The Yellow Rolls Royce and 1998's The Red Violin), Bluff presents an apartment unit that is slated for destruction. At the final walkthrough before the bulldozers move in, the demolition foreman makes a startling discovery inside the apartment, the exact nature of which remains a secret until the film's final few scenes. The foreman is soon joined by the doomed apartment's superintendent, who calls the police to investigate the discovery, and as they wait for the authorities to arrive, we are taken back in time to see the stories of five sets of tenants who previously occupied the apartment.

A young man preparing for a job interview; an infertile couple seeking the help of a friend to get pregnant; an old man who was briefly a boxer and wants to re-live his glory by trading punches with his daughter's latest boyfriend; a couple who are about to celebrate a birthday just as soon they sell a set of horrid paintings to a mysterious buyer; and an aging thief who is staging a final heist in the hopes of enhancing his legacy. The stories are presented through inter-mingled scenes, and while the stories start innocently enough, they all start to head towards a threat of violence or unexpected misfortune, while always maintaining a low-key streak of humour. Meanwhile, back in the present, the construction foreman and the apartment superintendent are also discovering that all is not what it seems.

An ensemble cast of actors does a terrific job of bringing all the characters to life, which is no small achievement given that each actor is effectively creating one sixth of a movie. Co-directors Simon-Olivier Fecteau and Marc-Andre Lavoie manage to quickly introduce us to the unique dynamics of each story, and effectively weave the various threads into compelling vignettes that may or may not be heading to a variety of unwelcome endings.

With a suitably nifty soundtrack, Bluff is proof that a small, low-budget film can provide clever and thoughtful entertainment through tight storytelling, deft acting and efficient directing.

Movie Review: The Rocket (2006)

Maurice "The Rocket" Richard joins the Montreal Canadiens hockey team as a kid, and grows to be one of the most influential players in the history of the game, both on and off the ice.

One of the more ambitious Canadian made films, The Rocket works on many levels: as a story of a man gradually growing into his talent to assume the leadership role that destiny entrusted him with; as the story of the re-awakening of pride in the french identity of Quebec; and as a terrific look back at the early days of the "original six" in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Roy Dupuis, the actor portraying The Rocket, does not display too many emotions in the film. He is mostly portraying stoic manhood in the face of on-ice opponents and an anti-Quebec off-ice NHL culture. Dupuis does the job admirably, but it would have been interesting to delve a bit deeper and more frequently into more varied emotions.

The portrayal of the NHL in the 1940s and 1950s appears genuine. The atmosphere in the hockey rinks, dressing rooms, back-rooms and on the trains is smoke drenched, masculine, chaotic, and sweaty. The film is great in re-creating an era when entire large cities could get caught-up in the euphoria of a single game. The film also presents the reality of the days when sports heroes received very little glory outside the sports arena, and carried on with modest family lives without any of the trappings and lavishness that we associate with modern sports stars.

The film's examination of french / english rivalry and conflict, both within the NHL and within the larger surrounding society, is subtle, touching, and sensitive. One of the most potent scenes in the film occurs when the anglophone Montreal coach reaches out to his Quebec players in the post-game Canadiens dressing room, after the Rocket begins to assume a visible role as critic of the status quo.

Technically, the movie is a pleasure to watch, with classy sets, costumes, music, and very capable supporting performances.

For fans of hockey and the National Hockey League, and all those who enjoy social commentary through the lens of sports, The Rocket is a worthwhile movie.