Plot: What’s it about?
Film buffs are certainly going to be in for a treat, at least on paper, when word of Oh, Canada gets out. The movie reunites Richard Gere and Paul Schrader, who initially collaborated on the 1980 gem American Gigolo. That film put Richard Gere on the map and paved the way for some of his more notable roles in An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman and Primal Fear to name just a few. Turning the attention to Schrader, he’s had his share of hits (and misses), but as of late has turned the focus inward with more personal films like First Reformed and The Card Counter. I enjoyed both, but will be the first to admit that he’s got a very interesting style. Nevertheless, we find his latest project as he once again has gone to the source material from Russell Banks, who authored Affliction – a film that Schrader brought to the screen with great acclaim. Gere and Schrader are now in their 70’s (as of this writing) and I think it’s safe to say that both have achieved great success in their respective careers. Is this “last hurrah” worth it or not? Let’s head north and find out.
Richard Gere plays Leonard Fife, an acclaimed filmmaker who’s living in Montreal. He’s coping with the reality that he’ll soon succumb to the Cancer that ravages his body. As such, he wants to get a few things straight about his life that he’s hidden even from his wife, Emma (Uma Thurman). He sits for an interview with a few of his fellow students: Malcolm (Michael Imperioli) and Diana (Victoria Hill). Leonard starts to regale them with a tale that takes us back to the late 60’s where he’s played by Jacob Elordi). We learn some truths about Leonard, someone who left his pregnant wife, a job as a CEO of a family-run business and who eventually fled to Canada to avoid being drafted. We see that Leonard is a somewhat decent person, but one that’s made some foolish and selfish choices along the way. All of this comes as somewhat of a revelation to the “modern” crew as we learn more and more about the man.
As we age, it’s easy to look back at some of the choices we’ve made. Some good, some bad and others…it’s yet to be seen. This is obviously a very personal film for both Schrader and Gere, but it’s not the lightning in a bottle that their first collaboration was. It never will be. While I appreciated the multiple timeline approach, I found it a bit confusing as well. In some scenes we see a “modern day” Richard Gere that should have been about 30 years younger. That’s not to take anything away from Jacob Elordi who’s a spot on match for Gere. If introspective films are your thing, likely you’re accustomed to the work of Schrader and this is more of the same. If not, well there are certainly thousands upon thousands of other films to choose from.
Video: How’s it look?
While I d applaud the filmmakers for giving us a very unique visual style (multiple aspect ratios), it did get a bit confusing. The “modern” scenes are shown in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio, while the majority of the “flashback” scenes are shown in a more standard 2.39:1 and there are even a handful of scenes in a 1.78:1 just to mix things up. Putting that aside, the film’s overall look and feel is certainly indicative of what we’ve come to expect. Detail is good, almost too good. I mention that as a scene early on you can see (if you look close enough) the rubber mask that Gere’s character is wearing. I don’t know if that’s a testament to the film’s detail or just a bit of sloppy filmmaking. At any rate, contrast is strong, colors are a bit on the muted side but it makes for, by and large, a great-looking image.
Audio: How’s it sound?
If ever there’s a film that relies on dialogue, this is a frontrunner. While there are a few scenes in which the surrounds chime in, the vocals in this one take front and center. Gere’s unmistakable voice narrate the lion’s share of the film offering a nice, spacious presence. The DTS HD Master Audio mix doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to flex its muscle, but it’s of little consequence. You don’t need the walls shaking to produce a nice, well-rounded track. This is proof.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Director Paul Schrader’s track is full of insights on the film, its cast and overall production. I’ve often enjoyed his commentaries and this one is certainly no exception. Fans of the film will thoroughly enjoy it.
- Behind-the-Scene Featurette – Playing out as more of an extended trailer this three and a half minute feature just has some clips from the film as well as some quips from Gere.
- Deleted Scene – Only one, which runs about 90 seconds and as we might have guessed – doesn’t really add anything to the film.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Richard Gere has long been one of my favorite actors and it’s nice to see him re-team with Schrader after all these years. I think the hopes for the film were a bit higher than what we saw, but at 94 minutes it’s not a huge investment of time, either. The Blu-ray looks and sounds fine with a decent selection of extras.
