12/28
Based on the novel ‘Foregone’ by Russell Banks
Plot
Leonard Fife, one of the sixty thousand draft dodgers and deserters who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam, shares all his secrets to demystify his mythologized life. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian offers quick takes on 12 films he screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including Anora and the dangerous and curiously erotic Mercy.
I saw it in Cannes, at the film’s premiere
This is the second time Paul Schrader has directed one of Banks’ novels for the screen, following his adaptation of Affliction (1997). Referenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 961: In a Violent Nature + TIFF 2024 (2024).
It features beautiful cinematography and great production design
OH, CANADA is a highly original film by one of the masters of cinema, a true work of art. The film is beautifully made with a strong visual look.
The performances are strong, especially Richard Gere who plays the protagonist
He delivers a terrific and memorable performance in the vein of Jack Nicholson in FIVE EASY PIECES: a complicated, not always likable but compelling character. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s one of Paul Schrader’s greatest achievements of the filmmaker and a treat for film lovers. Recommended.