That Beautiful Somewhere (2007)

I am always worried when I see a movie that is going to depict what life is like for people with chronic migraine. Most of the time it is represented in a terrible and false way that does some harm to those of us that struggle with severe pain. This movie showed migraine in the most truthful way I have ever seen. It was hard for me to watch it at times, because it was so familiar. Besides being a beautiful looking movie, and having such good actors - I really want to applaud the honesty of the film - even though it was a supernatural story in some ways. It is a great movie. Thank you for making this, and for being so truthful about this condition.

I'm still giving it an above average score because the two lead actors were watchable (if not always comprehensible) and the location film-making was good. Roy Dupuis told CTV he took the role because the script was well-written. There I would have to disagree: the basic idea that a police detective would stick around after his "murder" victim turned out to date from 200 years ago is too silly for grown-ups. The director evidently had to dub in someone saying off-screen "It's still a murder investigation", presumably as a result of complaints in post-production. Even Dupuis as the detective looked confused and out of place when he heard the news from his lady archaeologist (McGregor). He was obviously thinking: why aren't I driving back to HQ and getting on with the next case like a real cop? Trouble is, this is not a conventional detective movie: the archaeologist is taking over and she is leading them both on a very queer investigation into ancient "healing" techniques which apparently are not even authentic. That's just as well, because if anyone ever attempted to use the method described here they would probably spend many years in prison. It's more appropriate in the hands of CIA torturers, called "waterboarding". I'd like to see Jane McGregor in a less neurasthenic role, and I'd like Dupuis to avoid phony roles like this in future, because he seems like a really good guy and deserves a lot better for turning down the big US dollars and staying in his beloved Canada. I'd like to send this note to the screenwriter/director Robert Budreau: try not to use flashbacks in your pictures. Try very hard, because they are extremely hard to handle, breaking the narrative pace and interrupting the character development. They are nearly always an ego-trip imposed by the screenwriter/director --- and who is that? It's you, Mr Budreau! Just one more thing: why doesn't Ms. McGregor hire a publicity agent? It's impossible to find a biography of her on the internet. For an actor, that's just perverse!

The Beautiful Somewhere raises interesting questions about sacrifice and redemption, especially in regards to Conk's actions which leave the viewer wondering about the purity of his motives. The cinematography of the North is beautiful but seems like mere delicious icing on a fairly well baked cake. Unlike Terrence Malick's engagement with nature, where it becomes a character within the film, in The Beautiful Somewhere it remains merely beautiful. I was glad that the film didn't detour into hokey naturalistic transcendentalism leaving us with the tired nature good, civilization (esp. Catholicism) bad dichotomy. My only other complaint about the film was that the relationship between Conk and Catherine needed to develop further. A cold relationship warmed too easily and too quickly. I wasn't looking for answers but for more complexity.

This movie had a lot more to offer than I expected going in. There were a great deal of panoramic shots from North Bay and the surrounding area where the movie was filmed, there were well-developed characters, and there was a sense of intrigue. I saw this movie at a local screening with the author of the original book Loon there to answer questions at the end, so I can confirm that the native rituals described in the movie were fictional, so don't show this to your Native studies class.The acting was well done and the plot moved quickly with a surprising ending, but the relationship between the main characters seemed rushed at times. Overall, an excellent movie well worth a watch.