31/20
Based on the novel ’Foregone’ by Russell Banks
Line of Events
Leonard Fife, one of the sixty thousand draft dodgers and deserters who fled to Canada to avoid service in Vietnam, shares all his secrets for demystifying his mythologized life. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian offers a quick preview of 12 films he screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including Anora and the dangerous and curiously erotic Mercy..
novels for the screen, after his adaptation of Affliction (1997)
This is the second time Paul Schrader has directed one of Banks’ films. I saw it at Cannes, at the film premiere.
The film is beautifully made with strong images
OH CANADA is a very original film from one of the masters of cinema, a true work of art. It features beautiful cinematography and excellent production design.
The acting is strong, especially Richard Gere who plays the title character
He gives a fantastic and memorable performance in the spirit of Jack Nicholson in FIVE EASY WINS: a complex character, not always sympathetic, but fascinating. It may not be for everyone, but I think it is one of Paul Schrader’s greatest achievements at 39 and a gift for film lovers. Recommended.