filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

a_baron This film might be described as a psychological thriller, if there were any thrills in it. How best then to describe it? Confusing, disjointed, pointless?Set in the middle of the Canadian winter, it begins with a man driving a snow plough, hitting a man who is walking in the middle of the road, and killing him. At worst this would be causing death by dangerous driving, most probably a tragic accident, but for one caveat, well, two actually, or maybe three, depending how much of this rubbish you decide to watch.The first is that he is drinking alcohol. The second as we learn later is that he has been banned from driving after a bizarre incident involving a snow plough crash which has left him unable to work, perhaps not simply because he has lost his driving licence. The third is that he knows the man in question, who had actually been crashing at his place on account of his being up to his ears in debt, through gambling, and not having the courage to go home and face his wife.This man had also been caught stealing from our non-hero, and had fled into the night on that account. There is no doubt his death was an accident, but understandably the authorities might be more than a little skeptical. Which leaves us where? Well, it leaves him carrying out a series of acts pointless and bizarre in equal measure, not to mention incriminating, and no, that does not mean simply driving his car.

Wizard-8 I usually avoid Canadian movies funded with taxpayers' funds since they are almost always big bores. But I decided to take a chance on this movie because the description on the DVD box sounded intriguing - plus the fact that I could watch the DVD for free by taking it out from my local library. After watching it, I could understand why the distributor didn't give this much of a theatrical release (if any). First, I think I should admit that there were some things I liked about it. It's a pretty good looking movie, with good cinematography and scenic locations; this is one Canadian movie that had something of a budget and good care taken with it. Also, the direction by Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais does capture the feel of a Quebec winter very well - you really feel the cold and uncomfortable feel of it. And it was nice to see a Canadian movie that actually admits that it's taking place in Canada.Unfortunately, despite the merit I reported above, the movie in the end fails to work as a whole. Most of the blame can be placed on one thing: the script. First, there's a big problem with the Thomas Hayden Church character - we never get a real feel to what makes him tick, nor do we learn much about his past. I didn't know what to make of this character or feel about him. Church does try hard to make the character come alive, but even his great efforts can't make his role a fleshed out enough character. Another problem with the script is that there are some really unbelievable things that happen. (Would someone try to commit suicide right in a public parking lot? Why did the cops not take Church's friend's car in for evidence after discovering he was missing? Wouldn't the various people who spotted Church committing crimes in the wilderness reported him to the cops?) The most unbelievable thing in the movie, however, is the ending. I won't say what happens, except to report that it's not only unbelievable, it concludes things in a very unsatisfying manner that feels way unfinished. As the credits unfolded, I was saying to myself, "That's IT???"Canadian movies may now look good, but you'll see from this movie that more often than not they still need work in the script department.

Jan Kalina I had the pleasure of seeing Whitewash at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival or KVIFF for short. I went to see this film while knowing nothing about it because that is sometimes the way you see films at KVIFF. You buy a ticket and go see a film that you know nothing about. I strongly recommend going into a movie which you know nothing about because that way you can enjoy it much more.A snow plow operator accidentally runs over with his mini-plow a man walking on the street during a blizzard. That's all you need to know about this film's plot. What ensues after this accident is a the perfect blend of drama and black comedy. Surprisingly Thomas Haden Church's Bruce spends most of the movie hiding in his snow plow and trying to figure out what to do next. Thomas Hadden Church gives here the best performance of his life. Very minimalistic though but very gripping and funny. The film shows how physically demanding Bruce's survival is. (The story is set in Quebec, so the winter there is very harsh) Thomas Haden Church portrays a man who is unwilling to die even though he is doubting if living is worth the struggle. But all this can be told with a lot of humor, even if the situation wouldn't be funny in real life.After the screening there was a short Q&A session with the director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais. He said that although the winter looks very harsh, during the time of the shoot the winter was very wimpy so they had to help themselves with a few special effects. After the Q&A session ended I went up to the director and asked him for an autograph and asked him if the Coen brothers was an influence on this film. The answer was: Of course! The guy seemed like a very sympathetic fellow and I look forward to seeing more of his work.

Anne-Brigitte Sirois Whitewash, directed by Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais and co-written by Emanuel Hoss- Desmarais & Marc Tulin, is a dark comedy infused with the rigorous purity and deep character analysis that sustains the enduring artistry of cinema's masterworks.As in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, this tale is about a man and the regrettable killing he is responsible for while drunk. The two main characters (played by Thomas Haden Church and Marc Labrèche) plough forward as killer and victim become entangled in an increasingly hopeless predicament plagued with widespread wretchedness and despondency. The film is shot in the isolated forests of Quebec during the harsh of winter. The ideologically charged backdrop offers a feral setting in which the main characters, one French speaking and the other English speaking, seem to simply exist on screen. Their exchanges are simple and pure, dignified with an honest humor that inspires great sympathy for each of them and for the human condition at large. The movie ends with a climatic joke looking forward into an unwritten fourth act.