One Week (2008)

A beautiful film of self-discovery through a journey throughout Canada. The only problem was the weird narration which is for the most part supposed to be humorous but just kills every moment the film had. Just remove the narration part and we'll get a great film out of this.

Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson) has stage-4 cancer and is given 10% chance to live. At most, he has a couple of years left. First thing that occurs to him is that he has an excuse to cancel his wedding to Samantha (Liane Balaban). He decides to buy an old motorcycle despite the disapproval of Samantha. When he rolls up the rim of his Tim Horton cup, it says "Go West Young Man". So he goes west on his bike for a road trip before returning for treatment and eventually his wedding.I don't particularly like the Campbell Scott narration. I don't mind him as an actor, but his voice by itself is grinding. This is a charming little Canadian movie by Michael McGowan. It does need a bit more quirky to raise the interest. This movie is chalk full of Canadiana. However that is not enough to make this a great movie. It just needs more than what it is... which is a gentle little Canadian travelogue mixed with an emotionally simple story.

What would you do if you knew you only had a week to live? Based on the tag-lines alone I was worried about viewing this movie. I was quite pleasantly surprised. One Week is a beautiful simple film about discovering what's really important in life. Ben Tyler, portrayed with depth & grace by Joshua Jackson, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His reaction to this life altering news is not to jump immediately into treatment, instead he chooses to purchase a (beautiful) vintage motorcycle & head out across Canada. He takes a trek of self discovery from Toronto in the East all the way West to Tofino on Vancouver Island. This unexpectedly uplifting film is both a study on the human condition & a love letter to Canada itself. The breathtaking scenery is a character all its own & the soundtrack of wonderful Canadian talent flows elegantly throughout. The ending is just ambiguous enough for you to draw your own conclusions. It left me feeling hopeful and strangely renewed. It has become one of my favorite movies. Just lovely.

This is what I call a real gem. I have just finished watching this movie, and I'm still thinking so deeply about it. I'm a travel fanatic, what would I do if I were to find out what Ben finds out about his health and destiny? Probably just the same.It's impossible not to think about "Into the wild" when watching this movie and make a comparison. Both film are great, in different ways though, this one is probably more into introspection, the story is more "pruned" when compared to the American movie, the characters met by the main man are different, calmer, probably less American.I loved everything about this film: the landscapes, the message, the characters (Sam is a good and kind hearted girl which deserves better in her life, the families are described as warm and loving), the literary quotations, the music, everything.A gem really not to be missed. And Canada, wait for me, I'll be travelling there some time in the future!