Even Canadians can be Barbarians (Les Invasions barbares (DVD))

Member Name: cswann

Product:	Les Invasions barbares (DVD)
Date:	09/12/04 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some weighty issues, Good cast

Disadvantages: A bit too academic?

Canadian writer/director Denys Arcand has had a long career directing films since the early 60’s – many of them are French language movies, and therefore tend not to be very famous. “Decline of the American Empire” (1986) and “Jesus of Montreal” (1988), are possibly his most well-known.

Despite its title, “Les invasions barbares”, or “Barbarian Invasions”, is not an action-hero movie, or a war movie. It was promoted as a comedy, the posters said it was about “sex, friendship, and all the other things that invade our lives.”
Not sure about that description. Parts of it are humorous, so it could be described as a comedy, but it has an underlying serious side – perhaps because it’s also about illness and death.

It’s an arthouse film, although it did get shown at my local multiplex for one short week, I imagine to miniscule audiences, if the night I went was anything to go by.

The plot revolves around Remy (played by Remy Girard), a history professor, who is in hospital, dying. We hear his wife telling his son this news, at the beginning of the movie, so I’m not giving anything away when I say he’s dying.
The first scenes show us the filled hospital corridors, the squalor, and we see his son receiving the phone call, saying the prognosis isn’t good. His son, Sebastiane, then makes the trip from London to Canada, with his wife to see his father. Stephane Rousseau plays Sebastien.
Most of the cast, as well as the characters, appeared in “Decline of the American Empire”. If it had been made in Hollywood, “Barbarian Invasions” would probably have been called “Decline of the American Empire 2”.

Remy is a socialist, an academic…. he’s a womaniser too, or has been in his time.
The family members haven’t always got on particularly, his wife wishes they would talk more, and to begin with they seem to have nothing to say to one another. But Sebastien does start to get things organised. He’s a successful businessman, and is good at organising.

For a start he ensures his father’s care in hospital is improved. The movie is very scathing about the Canadian health service, and it’s all very relevant to England as well. Money talks, and if you have it, it’s possible to get medical care.

Remy’s friends all get together, gathering around him, and there’s a lot of talk about politics, and philosophy. The subject of euthanasia is very respectfully dealt with, generally. Overall, it should be a morbid movie, but it isn’t. It has some quite witty moments. It is very real though, in a low budget way appearance-wise, but also in a no-subjects-avoided kind of way.

“Barbarian Invasions” had plenty of critical acclaim. It was nominated for the best foreign film golden globe, and was winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. It was also named as one of the Top 10 movies of the year in Newsweek.

The Certificate 18 is understandable, I think, mainly due to it’s portrayal of drug use.
99 minutes long.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I’m glad I’ve seen it. However, I wouldn’t rate it as highly as the critics – it was in danger of losing momentum, and losing my interest at time – mainly due to the philosophising.
Well worth watching, but don’t expect it be one you’ll want to watch again and again.

Summary: