Noël Burton Movies

A pair of e-mailing lovers discover romance is more difficult in the real world than in cyberspace, especially when a highly unexpected rivalry comes into the picture in this understated comedy drama. Norman (Noël Burton) is a middle-aged college professor from Montreal who, through an on-line dating service, has been corresponding with Gladys (Vanessa Bauche), an attractive younger woman from Mexico. Emboldened by the dating service's prediction that their relationship has a 61 percent chance of lasting, Norman flies to Mexico to ask for Gladys' hand in marriage. Gladys accepts, but only under the condition that her mother, Fernanda (Susana Salazar), can join them in Canada. Norman agrees, but it isn't long before both Norman and Gladys discover the chemistry they enjoyed through the mail doesn't work nearly as well in person. Gladys wonders aloud if Norman actually wrote his own letters, and Norman starts to suspect his new bride is more interested in a green card than in him. Matters become all the more difficult when Norman finds himself becoming infatuated with Fernanda, who is not much older than he is and quite attractive for her age. A Silent Love was the first feature film from director Federico Hidalgo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paulina Robles, his spouse. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

An important moment in Canadian history is brought to the screen in this drama drawn from historical documents of the period. In 1838, Francois-Xavier Bouchard (Francis Reddy) is a member of a group of French-Canadian rebels calling themselves Les Patriotes, who are hoping to remove the British-based government from Lower Canada (now known as Quebec). Having just returned to Canada after a brief exile in the United States, Bouchard aligns himself with Les Patriotes against the advice of his family, who fear for his safety. Their fears prove well-grounded when Bouchard is captured in a raid on a British stronghold, and after an attempt to escape to America, Bouchard is subjected to a trial he feels has been fixed from the start. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi