Cody Calahan/Peter Genoway's tale-within-a-tale, THE OAK ROOM, hits theaters and VOD

If you're a fan of smart storytelling, especially of  a tale-within-a-tale-within-a-tale, THE OAK ROOM, the new Canadian film from director Cody Calahan and writer Peter Genoway, might do a lot more than merely float your boat.

Beginning with a bar and a bit of a heard-but-not-seen rumpus, then a late-night appearance, the past, money owed, and a tale about a tale, we're maybe already one-third through the new film when all this is beginning to look a lot like mere vamping. Yet this is being handled

well enough -- in the writing, directing and acting -- that we're more than willing to go along. 

Director Calahan (shown at left) and writer Genoway fill their film with enough clever visual and verbal clues and repetitions -- everything from that bar and a beer bottle to a wrist watch, wet shoes, cold feet and even class difference -- that the stories grow deeper and more serious as they move along. 

Simultaneously, the movie fills with slowly accumulating menace, leading to an outburst that  arrives as a penultimate event, rather than a finale. 

In retrospect, TrustMovies suspects you'll find  the storytelling here pretty remarkable and The Oak Room itself a surprisingly interesting and engaging piece of filmmaking.

The small cast is made up of a half-dozen men, with each character particularly well-drawn and -acted, and three of these six guys offering change and surprise along the way.

I'll not go into the "who, what and why"  to avoid the usual spoilers, but I will list these fine actors: Ari Millen (three photos up), RJ Mitte (two photos above) and Peter Outerbridge (just above) take the lead roles with utter panache, 

while super support arrives via Nicholas Campbell (above), Martin Roach (below), and David Ferry. Who these characters are and what they want is revealed slowly and cleverly, keeping us ever on our toes and thinking that we've now got things all figured out. Not quite.

Even as the final credits roll, you'll still be mulling it all around in your mind, piecing together the fragments still missing. For those who enjoy story-telling, puzzles, mysteries and the kind of suspense and uneasiness that build ever so gradually, The Oak Room should satisfy in a myriad of ways.

From Gravitas Ventures and running just 89 minutes, the movie hit a few theaters along with VOD just last weekend, Friday, April 2. Click here to see the various digital venues on which you can view the film. 

One of the best of the modern Mafia movies: Daniel Grou and Sylvain Guy's MAFIA INC

I am surprised to find myself so taken with a movie about the Mafia. Usually I find these singularly unappetizing -- in particular those made by American moviemakers who are far too happy to glamorize the Mafia; Italian filmmakers much better understand the sleaze and filth of this organization. Glamorization is something that MAFIA INC, the 2019 Canadian film just now getting a limited theatrical and DVD/digital release, has absolutely no interest in nor time for.

Oh, sure -- some of the settings are "posh," all right, but in a cold, dehumanized, who-gives-a-shit manner. And there's plenty of violence (some audiences still find this "glamorous"), but it, too, is nasty, ugly and truly devoid of the usual glamour/thrill of killing (that Coppola, Scorsese and a number of others so love). Even though we're allowed to understand that there will be torture along with the eventual death, the moviemakers -- Daniel Grou (shown at right, who used to be known as Podz) and screenwriter Sylvain Guy, from the non-fiction book by André Cédilot and André Noël  -- avoid showing us most of these actual killings. We view a few quick ones via gunshot, but what could be simply slasher-porn is avoided visually yet still imprinted on us via smartly doled-out information.

The movie begins with a kind of massacre (which we thankfully do not witness) that then hangs over the entire film. We, along with most of the characters here, come back to it again and again, trying to understand the "why" of it all, because it is truly so disgusting. The burgeoning results of this massacre are felt throughout, even as the movie expands into so many other areas -- most of which allow us to view this Canadian branch of the Italian monstrosity in all its shameful sleaze.

Mafia Inc is also memorable for how it handles the distaff side of things. Yes, the males run the operation, but when the chips are down the women prove as strong and possibly even as powerful as the men. The cast of the film is extremely well-chosen, starting with, in the role of the leading mob boss, Francesco Paterno, the fine Italian actor Sergio Castellitto (above center), flanked by the two actors playing his sons: Donny Falsetti, left, and Michael Ricci, right.

The women are led by Mylène Mackay (above), as Paterno's soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Sofie. The characters here span three generations, with even the various "henchmen" roles cast and acted to near-perfection. Messieurs Grou and Guy have cast their movie expertly, and their greatest coup is undoubtedly using the terrific French-Canadian actor Marc-André Grondin (below, of the amazing movie C.R.A.Z.Y.) in the role of an almost-family underling who proves the most vicious and ruthless of all.

Despite its nearly two-and-one-half-hour length, Mafia Inc moves along swiftly, even nearly gracefully, as it ties up all the various "business" arrangements, killings, bribes, betrayals and more, leading to a kind of showdown that we rather know must eventually arrive -- all handled not merely believably but inexorably.

Back to that initial massacre: This is also the event that splits the move in two, morality-wise. Characters either object to the event because it endangered the Mafia's business or because, morally speaking, it crossed a boundary that neither can nor should be tolerated. It also smartly separates, in terms of character, the dogs from the wolves.

In terms of effective organization, plot construction, performance, direction and writing, Mafia Inc sets a very high standard. From Film Movement, in French, Italian and English, with English subtitles as needed, the movie may still be playing in some virtual theaters, is available now via VOD, and hits digital streaming and DVD this coming Tuesday, March 9. Click here for more information.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: Matthew Rankin's skewed-up romp of Canadian history arrives

There really was a Mackenzie King (actually named William Lyon Mackenzie King), and once I'd seen the truly bizarre new "spoof," THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, a Canadian film written and directed by Matthew Rankin, my fingers raced across the keyboard and onto Wikipedia to find out more. That "more" bears little resemblance to anything I saw in Rankin's movie -- except perhaps the most important lesson the world seems to have to relearn with every new administration elected to office: Politicians are mostly sleazebag pieces of shit. 

Mr. Rankin, shown at left, has been compared to another Canadian filmmaker, Guy Maddin, and that comparison seems to TrustMovies both apt and inapt. 

Rankin and Maddin love to tell fanciful tales using all sorts of stylistic devices, but I'd call Maddin's work -- well, there is much more of it to explore; this is Rankin's first full-lengther, after a slew of shorts -- both deeper and wider ranging. I wish I knew more about Canada and Canadian history, in any case, because I am sure that would only increase the pleasure I found from watching the film.

A bizarre compilation of live action, animated sets, and wonderfully politically-incorrect  moments -- the movie begins with a scene taking place in a "Home for Defective Children" -- Rankin proceeds from tuberculosis and sudden love to an orgasmic cactus, beaucoup gay references, class, cross-dressing, onanism, and a heavy-duty foot fetish. Have I left something out? Very probably.

Rankin has assembled a fine cast (none of whom I immediately recognized) to bring to, well, "life" is not quite the right word, his oddball tale of how Mackenzie King rose to prominence and finally to Minister-ship, with a wonderfully devious and utter-twat-like performance by Dan Beirne (above, enjoying one of his character's greatest pleasures) in the leading role. You'll keep rooting for this guy to finally come through as simply a terribly flawed human being, but Mr. Beirne's performance manages to smartly elude even that. 

Supporting roles -- from Kee Chan (above) as a "yellow peril" doctor to Louis Negin as King's scenery-chewing mother -- are all handled with proper if oddball elan, and if Rankin's dialog is often rather flat, his visual and stylistic choices carry things along. (Yes, many of the female roles are played by men and the male ones by women. It's that kind of film)

In its way, the movie may be awfully anti-Canada (as Rankin perceives it, at least). Early on, one of the in-charge personages offers this prayer: "May disappointments keep us safe from unreasonable longings and foolish aspirations." Soon after we hear: "Do more than is your duty. Expect less than is your right." Hmmm... Words that more and more western countries seem to be living by, Canadian and otherwise. (Or, more probably, have always lived by.) 

In any case, The Twentieth Century manages to be foolish-but-pointed, thoughtful-while-ridiculous and always a lot of fun, especially for those of a sexual/gender-bending mind-set that revels in making fun of everything from heterosexual patriarchy to -- my, oh, my -- French-Canadian separatism.

From Oscilloscope Films and running just 90 minutes, the movie opened this past weekend and is currently playing across the country -- either virtually or via actual walk-in venues. Click here then scroll down to see all current playdates, cities and theaters.

In Jay Baruchel's ugly-as-sin RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE, slashing is touted then trashed

You've got to hand it to co-writer/director Jay Baruchel (an actor I've much enjoyed over the years): He has given us a slasher movie riddled with guts 'n gore and then made that movie about as ugly as it could be -- in everything from its story and theme to its sets and cinematography. 

Best of all, while RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE offers a comic-book series of bloody, brutal killings based on supposedly-real-life-but-actually-fictional events that drenches its readers in horror, while delivering the same thing in the movie itself, it also manages to target the comic book artist and his business partner/producer as damnable agents of this horror. No one here gets out unscathed. In fact, just about no one here gets out -- period.

Baruchel's star is that hunky actor Jesse Williams, as Todd (below, second from left), a successful comic book artist having some trouble finding the correct conclusion for his final issue. He and his girlfriend Kathy (Jordana Brewster, below, left) are off to Comic-Con, along with his partner/producer (played by Baruchel, shown in directing mode at right) and artist/assistant (Niamh Wilson, below, right), the latter of whom, when she sees anything disturbing, must then draw it on paper to help get it out of her conscious mind.

Turns out that Kathy is currently writing a book about all the victims of this slasher/killer, and at each stop along their road trip, something increasingly horrible happens that apes far too closely what has earlier appeared in Todd's comic, which is  turn is based on those even earlier real-life murders.

So here we have art imitating life, and life (or in this case death) imitating art, with events moving from ghastlier to gorier in no time flat. Normally TrustMovies is not a big fan of either slasher movies or gore-fests like this one. Even now, I can't really call myself a fan of Random Acts of Violence. Yet the movie did hold the attention of both my spouse and me because of its sheer ugliness and refusal to make things easy on the audience.

And if you accuse the film of glamorizing the violence, Baruchel and crew make certain that everyone pays for their part in it all, including, I believe, us viewers. And certainly it does not excuse or in any way champion comic book violence nor the nitwit movie shit that this violence engenders. 

Everything about the film -- from its writing and direction to the colors, costumes, sets, cinematography, editing and special effects -- simply reeks of ugliness, horror and decay.  I almost think that Random Acts of Violence just might put viewers off slasher films in perpetuity. And though this may not sound like it, I mean that statement as a compliment.

We should be so lucky. Meanwhile, the movie, from AMC's SHUDDER, the subscription service for horror, thriller and suspense genres, and running just 80 minutes, is available now for viewing. Click here for more info and how to watch. 

That sinking feeling, all over again, in Matthieu Rytz's documentary, ANOTE'S ARK

Déjà vu may set in quite early while viewing ANOTE'S ARK, the new documentary from Matthieu Rytz, if you recall, as readily as did TrustMovies, the more-than-slightly-similar story told in the 2012 documentary, The Island President. That film detailed the losing battle by the President of the Maldives to try to save his land of atolls from being completely engulfed by the ocean due to ongoing climate change.

In this new doc, Mr. Rytz (shown below) tells quite a similar story about Anote Tong, now ex-President of the island nation of Kiribati, which finds itself in almost exactly the same situation.

I was not much impressed with The Island President as a piece of filmmaking, and I am equally unimpressed with Anote'Ark for the same reasons. The film hops, skips and jumps all over the place, giving us cursory looks at everything it touches. And yet the subject of both films is so hugely important to the people who live in both locations that you feel you simply must pay attention. Plus, these little islands are giving the rest of world a preview of what is to come.

The titular subject of Anote's Ark does not even exist. Not yet, at least. There is no ark, nor does it look like there ever will be. But Mr. Tong (above, second from left and below), as did the Maldives Prez, globe-trots his ass off, trying to raise awareness of his country's dire situation. He does raise that awareness, but becoming aware and actually doing something are two quite different things. As usual, the "hearts and prayers" of everyone are touched. And so fucking what?

Just as was the Maldives man, Anote, as we learn over the end credits, is now out of office, with his successor undoing everything that Anote had put in place in regard to saving his homeland.

Along the way, we do meet a sweet family man and woman --  Ato and Sermary (the later shown above, right) -- and their children, one of these conceived and birthed during the course of the film. Too bad we don't learn more about these people; they do represent the human face of Kiribati, but
they're sort of cursory, as is all else in this documentary.

Anote travels to Paris meeting on climate change (above) and elsewhere, speaking up on behalf of Kiribati and its plight, and filmmaker Rytz shows us a climate change march in New York City (below), as well as a multitude of beautiful shots of this soon-to-be-washed-over island nation. And that's it.

Of course, we feel awful for what is eventually going to happen to Kiribati. And we also know that, if the governments of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world can't and won't even do what is necessary to help their own countries, what hope is there for tiniest little places like the Maldives and Kiribati? That's right: none.

Which is why, once again as with The Island President, this movie -- whatever it qualifications in terms of moviemaking skill, which I would rate as mediocre -- is among the most depressing ever. See it and weep.

From First Run Features and lasting but 77 minutes, Anote's Ark comes available on DVD and streaming via iTunes this coming Tuesday, April 16. 

Home video release for Eisha Marjara's transgender parenting rom-com, VENUS

The sudden announcement to a movie character -- generally a rom-com hero -- that he has an offspring he never knew existed is not exactly a new or novel plot device. When that character is a male in the midst of transgendering to a female, however, this probably constitutes the breaking of some new ground. So it is in the Canadian movie VENUS, which arrives via writer/director Eisha Marjara, shown below.

The first question you're likely to be confronted with by the film is this: Can a movie be simultaneously pretty enjoyable yet not very good? 

Venus answers this in a mostly positive vein. It's glossy, almost totally unbelievable, yet well-acted enough to just about slide by your (probably) many objections. This is due in large part of the performance of the young actor Jamie Mayers (below), who plays Ralph, the 14-year-old boy who has only just discovered his birth-parent dad.

As written, this character is not only too good to be true, but to be believed, as well. Yet Mr. Mayers is so charming, full of life and good will, that he manages to seduce you into coming along on this somewhat bumpy ride.

The young performer uses his wide-eyed face, adept body and high spirits to charm the viewer as much as he does the film's other characters,

who include his dad (the oddly cast actor, Debargo Sanyal, above and below, proves not particularly convincing),

his grandparents (the much better Gordon Warnecke and Zena Darawalla, below, left and right respectively),

and dad's lover (the very hot Pierre-Yves Cardinal , shown below, left). In fact, the two characters who seems least likely to fall for Ralph's charms are his mom (Amber Goldfarb, in the penultimate photo below) and his stepdad. This makes some sense, as these two are the ones who must deal with the kid, day in and day out.

The movie is both lively and bouncy, as it skirts along the surface of just about every thing and every theme it touches. Its refusal to go any deeper than the minimum requirements of GLBT rom-and-dram-coms, is best shown at the point at which Ralph's dad says to his son, "I think we need to have a talk." And then, instead of letting us see and hear that very important talk, the filmmaker simply cuts to some time afterward, depriving us of a scene in which both character and situation might have deepened.

But depth is certainly not what Ms Marjara is going for. Instead, we get the usual -- which is, as usual, nicely entertaining and often quite well-acted. If you'll settle for that, you will probably have an enjoyable time with Venus.

From Wolfe Video, the movie -- in English and running 95 minutes -- hits the street on DVD and VOD this coming Tuesday, September 4, for purchase and (I would hope) rental.

DVDebut for Ingrid Veninger's Canadian coming-of-age tale, PORCUPINE LAKE

Sweet, sad, and a little soft around the edges, PORCUPINE LAKE tells the tale of a slightly asthmatic young teenage city girl, Bea (Charlotte Salisbury), who comes to the Ontario countryside, along with her mother, to spend a summer vacation with her dad in the little lakeside community in which he lives and runs the local restaurant/bar. There, she meets a local girl, Kate (Lucinda Armstrong Hall) of her same age, and the two fall into a kind of friendship/ puppy love that could easily grow into something stronger.

As written and directed by Ingrid Veninger (shown at right), the movie is never heavy-handed nor unbelievable as it tracks this budding love story, as well as the coming apart of the relationship between Bea's parents.

Kate comes from a fairly dysfunctional family of her own, and we meet these folk, too, and wince a lot at their unpleasant antics. We also get to know, slightly at least, the community to which Bea and her mom have come and, again, it is shown to us with some credibility and skill.

Performances from the two young girls (shown above, with Ms Hall on the left) are very good indeed, with Kate's aggressive personality nicely complementing Bea's reticent and much less certain one. As Bea's parents, Delphine Roussel and Christopher Bolton (below, with Ms Roussel on the right), are also very fine: quiet, measured and, in the case of Mr. Bolton, slowly revealing.

The direction is competent, too, rarely rising to anything too melodramatic. What keeps the film from being more than merely OK, however, is the screenplay. The narrative and the dialog carry the plot along and connect events properly, but it's all a little too generic, lacking the specificity that might really bring the movie to more immediate and involving life.

As it is, Porcupine Lake is perfectly enjoyable so far as it goes. If you like coming-of-age tales, especially those involving same-sex attraction, there'll be an added hook. I do wish, though, that the film's distributor, Breaking Glass Pictures, had invested in optional English subtitles. The sound quality varies so heavily from scene to scene, with ambient sounds and music absolutely loud enough but dialog so often obscured that I found myself raising and lowering the my volume control throughout the film, which proved annoying as hell.

Running a swift 84 minutes, the movie hit the street this past Tuesday, August 14 -- and is available now, via DVD and digital, for purchase and/or rental.