I had heard of this film several years ago but never thought much of it, probably because of its perverse title. It fools you into thinking it is a low-budget outrageous sex comedy of sorts. However, having worked with the producer this past year, I decided to give it a chance and found that the story was actually a sweet indie comedy that shows a very honest portrayal of young love.

The story centers around five couples dealing with various sexual encounters on one night. The story is separated into acts based on each stage of sex. It is unusual and unprecedented as it doesn’t have a natural story flow but I find that it works quite well with this story. Although you never get the chance to fully connect with any of the characters (as is the problem with films of this tableaux style), it does quite a good job of helping you invest in the characters as much as possible. Though the characters are archetypal, they are each pretty unique, so they never really feel stereotypical.

The stories range from the very familiar “friends with benefits” to more original storylines such as the guy who’s girlfriend has sex with his roommate to help him get off. Even with the more familiar stories such as a couple who has been together for a while and struggling to stay lively, the story feels fresh, seeming to be drawn on real experiences, rather than rehashing the same things we’ve seen in countless romantic comedies. Enjoyment of this film really depends on your own experiences and how well you are able to connect with each story.

It is definitely an interesting and relatable film as there is a story for everyone. The story lacks purpose, being more observational than having a strong message. It is quite modest, despite the title and is extremely raw, depicting real life. This can cause it to be slow at times, and if you aren’t familiar with non-traditional story-structure, this movie could get on your nerves. It is definitely not a fast paced comedy, if that’s what you’re looking for but certainly an interesting Canadian film.
Final Rating: 4/5

The Snow Walker is exactly what you would expect from looking at the cover, reading the description, and/or hearing the title. This does not mean it disappoints, but it never strives to be particularly original or surprising. It is a Canadian drama film which centers around Charlie Halliday and an Inuit woman named Kanaalaq who, despite their different cultures and language barrier, must survive in the frigid North after getting in a plane crash. At first Charlie is resistant to befriend Kanaalaq but slowly they learn to communicate and a strong bond grows between the two.

The familiarity of this premise started me off on a wrong foot. I did not think I would enjoy this movie much and found it bogged down by its slow pace. However, as the story continued, I found myself progressively more interested, though a side-story about a crew trying to rescue Charlie was boring and unnecessary. The lovely acting leads to perfectly enjoyable and compelling scenes. The theme of the story was also quite nice, reminding the audience of our prejudices toward other cultures and how technically stunted we are in basic survival skills because of the ever-growing technology within modern society. The film is also supported by beautiful imagery.

Overall the film is quite simple but perfectly enjoyable. It has a strong theme supported by familiar but captivating, well-acted characters. It does not feel overly “Canadian” and never gets to melodramatic despite the subject matter. It is satisfying as a drama, adventure, and romance, without ever becoming too over-the-top in any of these categories. If you can tolerate the slow pacing, you will find yourself immersed in a beautiful story.
Final Rating: 3.5/5

Although I have not seen all Kevin Smith’s films, this is so far my favourite. It contains the same crude humour of his other films but it is grounded by a truly beautiful theme about enjoying the small things in life and making the most of our time.

The story is about Dante, a middle-aged store clerk working in a fast food McDonald’s-esque restaurant who is unhappy with his mundane life and job. It is his last day of work as he is getting married and moving to Florida. As the day progresses, hijinks ensue and Dante is left to wonder if moving to Florida will really make him happy or if his small-town, modest life is enough.

While it is very similar to the first Clerks in theme and story, I definitely find this the more engaging story. It plays sort of like Evil Dead 2 (to a lesser extent as it is definitely a sequel, not a remake), in that the filmmakers took the same story but recreated it with higher production value and more experienced filmmaking techniques. It feels fuller, with a stronger story and emotional pull. While the first film is definitely more of an art house film, feeling like a student film, Clerks 2 feels like a real film, more relatable and laugh-out-loud funny.

The film is much like Kevin Smith’s other films in its writing, and humour. It can be vulgar at times and trails off into non-sequitors. In my opinion it makes the film hilarious, but it make others shy away.

As with the previous film, I find a major flaw is in the casting of the main character. Brian O’Halloran’s portrayal of Dante is consistently over-the-top, not to mention that the character himself is unlikeable, dull, and annoying. However, this film also has the legendary characters of Jay and Silent Bob. Jason Mewes as Jay is hilarious overshadowing Kevin Smith as Silent Bob, which is fine as Smith is a terrible actor. This film also brings the hilarious addition of Elias played by Trevor Fehrman to comedic perfection.

The film is clearly a well executed comedy but in the end, what makes this film so special is the heartwarming message and simplistic feel. It holds a strong message, suggesting that rather than striving for seemingly elaborate and exciting lives, all we need to be happy is our friends; happiness can be found in the little things.
Final Rating: 4/5