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Joshua Jackson in One Week

A beautiful piece of Canadiana, that feels like a long, slightly uncomfortable road trip.

I read an article about the promotional advertising prior to One Week‘s release in regards to a full page newspaper ad that quoted Youtube comments in lieu of actual critic or reviewer quotes. I was oddly skeptical from this seemingly dubious ‘reviews‘ ad, but should I be? Who says that the Critics have a more valid opinion? I’ve always thought that Roger Ebert was full of shit and I’ve disagreed with almost every movie he gave the coveted ‘thumbs up.’ In fact, I usually go out of my way to apply this odd Reverse Psychology of Film Reviews and see every single movie that people (especially officious ones) hated, and avoid anything that was a ‘crowd-pleaser at the box office.’ In general that rule of thumb has worked out pretty well.

So in this case, is it actually even more relevant to post the opinions of regular people? If all of those reviews were actually from Canadians and in regards to a movie about Canada (which I don’t think is the case, but still…), then perhaps it is not insidious at all, and not only a good idea but one that helps define the movie itself. So they came really close to a fantastic idea, that may help change another antiquated institution that’s already been beaten down by revolutionary sites like IMDB and RottenTomatoes.

Or was it just a cover for a bad movie?

As a proud Canadian, who loves every ‘I Am Canadian’ Molson commercial and equally hates every single damn stupid Tim Horton‘s ad, I think there’s a lot Canada has to offer. Most important is the land itself, which is both beautiful, multi-faceted, and charismatic. So the biggest success that One Week achieves and does quite well is portray the country as the lead in the film. Like any good road flick, the movie is about the journey, but more specifically in this case a journey across Canada. Incorporating the now iconic ‘Roll up the Rim’, and with as many giant campy monuments of large versions of stuff that we have (which is actually quite a few), the film is indubitably and undoubtedly Canadian. The only way it could be more Canadian would be if they handed you a beaver and a lacrosse stick with every large size combo that you ordered at concessions.

That being said, it’s not without it’s drawbacks. It’s long. Not in the time investment sense, as it’s the standard 94 mins, but it just feels long. Like sitting in the back seat on a road trip where the destination is anticipated, but you’re not all that excited about it. I’ve been known to argue the fact that a good journey flick should have its theme reflected in the pacing of the movie (as in David Lynch‘s Straight Story vs Kevin Smith’s Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back), but I can’t help but think that there’s going to be some angry Dawson fans who showed up for a light-hearted, dreamy Joshua Jackson romp.

Sick, sick, sick

Last but not least, it brings up another issue that’s been bothering me lately. I apologize for the spoiler, but you probably guessed that he’s making this trip for a reason. Why are terminal illnesses necessary for so many Canadian flicks, especially ones that could or should be comedic or light-hearted? This movie didn’t really need it, and it suffered because of it (pun not intended). I’m reminded of Michael Dowse‘s FUBAR, which fell from an instant comedy classic satirical piece on ‘that metal guy you used to know’ to switching halfway through into a cancer ordeal. Great movie, but was it really necessary? Perhaps it has something to do with one of our most beloved national heroes in Terry Fox, saying more than I thought about what we value in those we idolize.

The End of the Trip

While the scenery and cinematography really work on the big screen, I think this one’s best left for the comforts of home. Perhaps  it’s also worth mentioning that I don’t think it would be nearly as effective as an international export. If nothing else, this may have inspired a ‘Top # Canuck‘ flicks list soon.

Thanks to Dubs, Choppy, and Saroo

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