REVIEWS Imagine Reviewed byTim Grierson


The adage ‘love is blind’ is explored sincerely — and literally — in Imagine, a combination of romance and inspirational-teacher drama that is filled with grace notes but is simply too pedestrian in its telling to fully connect. A look at an uncon- ventional blind man who insists he does not need a cane to navigate through the world, Polish writer-director Andrzej Jakimowski’s film works best when it brings leads Edward Hogg and Alex- andra Maria Lara into one another’s orbit — their chemistry helps an otherwise pokey narrative. Largely in English, Imagine may cater to art-


house couples because of its love story, but its lack of stars could prove problematic for international audiences. Ironically, the film’s commendable decision not to reduce its characters’ blindness to a toothless disability-of-the-week drama might also hurt its commercial prospects: a more generically upbeat storyline probably would have guaranteed rosier theatrical returns. Imagine introduces us to Ian (Hogg), a new


teacher at a Lisbon institute for the blind who is himself blind. Ian’s core philosophy is that the vis- ually impaired do not need to feel helpless — instead, by incorporating echolocation (a technique that allows the blind to sense objects around them by paying close attention to acoustic echoes), those without sight should be able to feel comfortable moving through their environment. This philosophy is not embraced by everyone at


CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA


Pol-Fr-Port. 2012. 105mins Director/screenplay Andrzej Jakimowski Production companies Zjednoczenie Artystow, Rzemieslnikow, KMBO Production, Filmes doTejo, F&ME International sales Beta Cinema, www. betacinema.com Producers Andrzej Jakimowski, Vladimir Kokh, Francois d’Artemare, Mike Downey Cinematography Adam Bajerski Editor Cezary Grzesiuk Production designer Ewa Jakimowska MusicTomasz Gassowski Main cast Edward Hogg, Alexandra Maria Lara


the institute, but it does draw the interest of Eva (Lara), a beautiful patient who usually avoids con- tact with others. The film does not begin promisingly, establish-


ing a tension between Ian and his superiors that seems destined to play out in predictable ways. Happily, Jakimowski is more nimble than that, dropping hints that Ian’s beloved echolocation method is not without its flaws — the scars on Ian’s face betray the times he has tripped over objects — and casting doubts on him as an effec- tive teacher. Jakimowski also cleverly illustrates how echolo- cation works, presenting scenarios in which the


audience is put into the same mindset as the film’s sightless characters, trying to determine the origin of sounds that occur outside the institute’s walls or otherwise off-screen. But despite these novel touches, Imagine is a


victim of its overly relaxed, sentimental tone. While Jakimowski leads us to wonder if Ian could be a scam artist — some speculate he is not really blind — the movie follows a conventional route while resolving this doubt, which sidesteps deeper issues about the delicacy of trust. Indeed, the mild- mannered Imagine is so enchanted by its charac- ters that it does not give them enough to do dramatically.


My Awkward Sexual Adventure Reviewed by David D’Arcy


CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA


The familiar set-up for this Canadian screwball comedy sees rejection sending a nerdy accountant from Winnipeg to Toronto’s supposed swamp of sin for remedial sex education. Quirky in its quest to shock and mock, this Canadian descent into hell may draw fans who have seen its nerd/hero/screen- writer Jonas Chernick on television in The Border. As nebbishes go, this one’s neuroses are not


strange or lewd enough to win over US audiences where Woody Allen and his army of nerd imitators have set the bar high. Nor do any other markets outside Canada look promising, while genuinely raunchy material may also make the film hard to sell on television. The classic nerd flight from the comfort zone


shifts dysfunctional gears when snippy princess Rachel (played to the bitchy hilt by Sarah Man- ninen) dumps accountant and beau Jordan Abrams (Chernick) after she falls asleep during sex, and sticks to her guns as he proposes mar- riage. The determined bean counter vows to get her back, and heads for Toronto for sex advice from lothario friend Dandak (Vik Sahay, from hit US TV series Chuck), and eventually from stripper Julia (Hampshire) who pities the lovelorn soul. In a novel deal, accountant Jordan swaps finan-


cial advice with Julia, who is broke, in exchange for sex training. Viewers will not learn much about sex here, but they may get a reality check on how


September 10, 2012 Screen International at Toronto 11 n


Can. 2012. 98mins Director Sean Garrity Production companies Banana-Moon Sky Films, Julijette Inc International sales Archstone Distribution, archstonedistribution.com Producers Jonas Chernick, Juliette Hagopian Executive producers Berry Meyerowitz, Jessica Labi, Juliette Hagopian Screenplay Jonas Chernick Cinematography Gavin Smith Editor John Gurdebeke Production designer Réjean Labrie Music Ari Posner Main cast Jonas Chernick, Sarah Manninen, Emily Hampshire, Vik Sahay


accountants and banks operate — nothing if not a novel twist. Director Sean Garrity follows Jordan’s odyssey


as a picaresque Walter Mitty story, with the addi- tional humiliation of Jordan being taunted by co- workers and tossed back and forth by Rachel, who has sex with anyone she can in his absence. Chernick, a Canadian TV veteran is not shy


about exploring Jordan’s endless humiliations and his sexual unattractiveness. Yet he brings complex- ity and some fresh laughs to nerd-dom with his accountant’s-eye-view of life and love. The most appealing presence here is Julia, confi-


dent in sex but hopeless in managing her cash. Emily Hampshire (Cosmopolis) plays her with a sexy composure, which battles with an improbable vulnerability when money is involved. Production values are fine in this low-budget


project, which offers no new visual tricks in its observation of titillation in the strip club that employs Rachel and takes Jordan’s money. In My Awkward Sexual Adventure, sin —


Toronto-style and Winnipeg-style — is predictably tame, if not just silly. The Canadian film is mocking its own notoriously wholesome country. It needs more to bring in a crowd beyond its borders.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24