Émile (2003)

In the second part of a twin bill for Ian McKellen, he stars with Deborah Kara Unger in a compelling drama about a man who goes back home after 40 years and has to deal with the past he left behind.In contrast to Cold Comfort Farm, in which McKellan played a small role, this movie is all about him. He goes back and forth from the present to his life in Canada 40 years before. He even engages in conversations with his brothers, who appear in the present. he works to resolve his crisis and, with the help of 10-year-old Theo Crane, is able to come to a comfortable conclusion.For those of us who leave home and return, there is a lot of things familiar in this very good movie.

I don't often have the chance to see a good movie like this one. Beautiful image, excellent music, great acting ( from the always talented McKellen and the good Deborah ); but most of all, a great movie with a "Les fraises sauvages" flashback style, which is an excellent way to "renew" this old and easy flashback method. Takes place in beautiful places honored by Carl Bessai's expert lighting and photographic style. The story, also, is very good, a story of regrets about the past that cannot be changed. You have to see this movie if you love great images, great acting talent ( what is this guy doing in x-men anyway ?? --> I understand, lots of money... i'd do the same... ), and good moments.11/10 !

Wonderful performances by all actors involved, Ian McKellen especially gives a typically intelligent and nuanced rendering. The plot is solid, but the main flaws lie in the tedious direction, cinematography and editing. Flashbacks are overused and signalled with horrendous transparency. The direction is terribly heavy-handed, which is unfortunate; plot-lines that are already capable of arousing viewer sympathy are then dwelled upon with even less subtlety. The ponderous soundtrack would be palatable under normal circumstances, but rapidly becomes irritating when prefaced by a "have you ever...?" question and combined with slow-motion, sepia effects. There is also a problem with the audio, where inconsistent mixing/mastering have allowed too many low-mids in the mix about half of the time, making some of the dialogue indistinct.Worth watching if you appreciate Ian McKellen's work, but expect to lose interest by the end.

This is definitely a character based movie. As such it's never a total waste to watch Ian McKellan work - playing someone trying to come to terms with the difficulties and poor choices in his past, and Deborah Unger truly nails her character - a woman who is bruised and bitter but determined not to give up on life. It's always a treat to see a movie filmed in Canada that doesn't pretend to be somewhere else. Alas the resolution seemed a little too easy and contrived, and I found the soundtrack monotonous and intrusive.