So, this past weekend, in my ongoing effort to improve my French skills, I watched "The Rocket", a biopic of the great French-Canadian hockey star Maurice Richard, as well as "The Triplets of Belleville".
Both proved that Quebec cinema is light years ahead of the rest of the country, in my opinion.
The Triplets was perhaps the most unique and engaging movie I've seen in a long time. It tells a story of a grandmother's love for her grandson, and a whole bunch of other subtexts at the same time, involving music, sport, culture, and some weird association with the numbers 3, 6, and 9.
The Rocket is also amazing--very stylish, amazing cinematography, and a cool blend of French and English. What I found most striking, perhaps, was the sense of underlying anger in it, though--a sense of the injustice English Canada has done to Quebec, and Quebec's lingering bitterness. The whole plot basically revolved around the French kicking our anglo asses and getting screwed over in return.
It made me wonder if Canada can be saved.
Anyway, two great movies. See 'em.
4 comments:
p.s. there's a great scene in The Rocket where an Anglo is in the stands at the Montreal Forum, heckling the rocket without mercy.
"YOU'RE A BUM!" he yells over and over. "YOU'RE A LOSER!"
Finally, Richard's wife can't handle it anymore, and turns around and loses it on the guy.
At that point, the guy comes down, says: "Mrs Richard, I'm Conne Smythe, president of the Toronto Maple Leafs-- I'll give you $125,000 if you can get your husband to sign with us."
Funny stuff...
p.s. 2-- i just learned that triplets of belleville is from france.
I`ve been meaning to see both. I just found a gem the other day- "Mirror Mask" I HIGHLY reccomend!
I saw the triplets of belville.
Loved it.
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