Pierre Even Movies
A middle-class teenage misfit living in '70s era Montreal dreams of abandoning his familiar hometown surroundings to seek a brighter future in director Jean-Marc Vallée's character-driven drama. A sexually-confused Christmas Day baby who likes to march to the beat of his own drummer, Zachary Beaulieu (Marc-André Grondin) nevertheless longs to live up to his old-fashioned father's (Michel Cote) decidedly more traditional expectations. As Zachary seeks solace in the sounds of Pink Floyd and David Bowie, his mother assures him that he's bound for greater things and testosterone-fueled siblings raise hell around the house. Despite feeling bound by his comparatively normal surroundings, the revelations provided by David Bowie's "Space Oddity" allows the disheartened Zachary the luxury of dreaming. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Cote, Marc-André Grondin, (more)
Chris Klein, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Michael, and Paolo Mancini star in director Matthiew Klinck's holiday-themed comedy concerning two downsized Easter bunnies whose friendship starts to suffer when the multi-national corporation that owns all holidays decides to make some serious cutbacks. Hank and Mike are the Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of holiday mascots: They may seem like a mismatched pair yet their differences are precisely what's kept them together all these years. While Hank is a hard drinking ladies man, Mike can't seem to look past his own insecurities long enough to realize how truly miserable he is. Once a year, Hank and Mike dutifully venture out to deliver Easter baskets to families everywhere. This year, however, Easter Enterprises has taken a hit, and all "Tier 2" holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah being prime examples of "Tier 1") are fair game for downsizing. Since Hank and Mike work only once a year, their jobs are the first to go. Subsequently relegated to the unemployment office and unable to break free of their furry-tailed past, these two longtime pals are about to discover just how valuable their friendship can be in times of need. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Michael, Paolo Mancini, (more)
- 2008
An uprising on a college campus evolves into something more dangerous than a clash of ideals in this drama from Canadian writer and director Sébastien Rose. Jean-Marc (Raymond Bouchard) is the president of a well-respected university in Quebec who has found himself at the center of a heated controversy. Louis-Ferdinand (Frederic Pierre) is the leader of a student activist group who have demanded sweeping changes in Jean-Marc's policies; Jean-Marc refuses to consider their proposals, leading to a series of protests which have inspired a wave of campus vandalism. Bertrand (Alexis Martin) is a professor at the university who supports the students' cause but not their methods, and when he attempts to reason with Louis-Ferdinand and his colleagues, it leads to an altercation that only makes a tense situation more difficult. Natacha (Catherine de Lean) is Jean-Marc's daughter and also a single mother with a drug problem who is still dealing with the scars of an unhappy childhood. Jean-Marc and Bertrand are scheduled to speak at a university banquet where they hope to air their differences about the ongoing student protests, but Gilbert (Benoit McGinnis) is an uninvited guest who has his own radical solution to the stand-off. La Banquet was an official selection at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexis Martin, Raymond Bouchard, (more)
- 2008
Love is in the air but not everyone is breathing easy in this romantic comedy with music from director Stephane Kazandjian. Eric Mericourt (Pierre Francois Martin-Laval) is a filmmaker who is given to wide mood swings and has trouble holding on to long-term relationships. Lately things are going well for him -- his latest movie, a musical called "Modern Love," is doing great business, and he's involved with a beautiful and caring woman, Anne (Melanie Bernier). But Eric is still haunted by his busted romance with Marie (Clotilde Courau), who left him three years before on New Year's Eve. One day, Eric bumps into Marie, who apologizes for leaving him and suggests they get together to catch up. To Eric surprise, Marie informs him that she and her current beau want to have a baby, but he's been diagnosed with a low sperm count and Marie asks Eric if he'd be willing to help her conceive a child. Meanwhile, lovelorn Elsa (Berenice Bejo) wants nothing more than to settle down with the right man, but hasn't had much luck finding him. Elsa is convinced she's discovered the guy of her dreams when she meets Jerome (Stephane Debac), who is good looking, personable and financially secure, but she's can't seem to interest him in getting serious and she wonders if he's actually attracted to women. Modern Love also stars Alexandra Lamy and Stephane Rousseau as the stars of Eric's movie, who appear in several song-and-dance numbers from the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexandra Lamy, Stéphane Rousseau, (more)
- 2009
A day of high-spirited fun takes a turn into darkness as a game becomes all too real in this comedy-drama from Canada. Erik (Ricky Mabe) and his girlfriend Lyn (Tiio Horn) are both interested in Live Action Role Playing games, in which teams of players assume the guise of particular characters and act out mock battles as part of a fantasy scenario. However, Lyn begins developing a stronger interest in the game than Erik, and runs off for a weekend of play without bringing him along. Depressed, Erik and his brother Bjorn (Mark A. Krupa) set out to catch up with her as their friends impersonate a horde of Viking warriors. Bjorn brings along his "Hammer of Thor" as well as Murtagh (Trevor Hayes), who takes his role as a shaman more than a bit seriously. As the day wears on, Erik's frustration is reflected in his mates, and what began as an afternoon of fantasy and adventure turns into a battle where the blood and wrath are very real. The Wild Hunt was the first feature film from writer and director Alexandre Franchi, who co-wrote the screenplay with actor and writer Mark A. Krupa, who plays Bjorn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
