Big Week for #Cdnfilm in Ottawa!

In Darkness

It's a big day for Canadian film in Ottawa this Friday. Your local movie theatre is getting three - yes three - doses of Canadian content this week. And the exciting part is... they're all supposed to be good! I've actually seen one of them already and will vouch for it: the mostly hotly anticipated of the three is probably our official Oscar submission (and nominee) Monsieur Lazhar. I saw it at TIFF and found it quite charming, especially the performances by Fellag and the actors playing the young students. I'm not quite as over the moon about it as most people are, but I think you should mission out to the Empire Theatre Orleans to see it, and then come back here and convince me why I should give it a second chance. (It moves to The Bytowne on the 24th.)

While The Bytowne awaits Monsieur Lazhar, it will fill its seats with the other two  flicks. Also opening this week is the Holocaust drama In Darkness, which Canuck moviegoers can root for at the Oscars if they aren't as enthused about Monsieur Lazhar. A Polish-Canadian co-production, In Darkness is nominated for Poland, and it's up for some Genie awards as well.

The one I'm probably most excited for is the NFB doc Pink Ribbons, Inc. Directed by Lea Pool and based on the book by Samantha King, Pink Ribbons, Inc. is one film that slipped by me at TIFF. It received strong reviews and word of mouth, though, for its critique of the commercialization and bastardization of breast cancer by charities and corporations that aim to make the disease look "pretty" and "nice". Sounds provocative... a good start to reading week!