Various Positions

I caught this one at the Vancouver International Film Festival and has one of my local fav's Tygh Runyan (Antitrust, Disturbing Behavior and 15 Minutes). But most of all my favourite Vancouver actress, Carly Pope (Orange County, Disturbing Behavior and TV's Popular).

The movie was well written by Vancouver UBC student Ori Kowarsky, and avoided all Hollywood elements of a tragic love story between two twenty-something's that are restricted from seeing each other due to religious beliefs. More so than the writing being excellent for a small Canadian movie I was blown away by the filming in this show afterwards when the cast and crew announced it was filmed on HDTV (a DV format). This was stellar! Never once did I think this was something put together on DV and worked on later to look like film. So inspiring now that I'm deciding to start filming a few shorts as soon as next month. The color that was used in the movie had some very filtered film effects but still had a film grain texture to it that made a very warm looking picture. Another bonus was watching the opening credits and discovering that Tygh also did a portion of the score in the movie. It had a real ambient mellow tone that was very subtle and enjoyable.

Well let me get back to the cast and crew. Like I mentioned earlier the cast and crew were present after for a Q & A. I jokingly entertained the idea that Carly being an American teen idol would be present for the picture's premiere but was shocked to find out she showed up. She was just as stunning in person as on film. I think if she continues to do more independent pictures and story driven work she will be capable of sticking around a while longer as well unlike the rest of the nameless Popular cast. It was really great to see the entire cast except for Tygh (who was filming elsewhere), be able to show and support the picture for Ori.

I can't see this being a big theatre release but if you get the chance to see it on DVD/VHS or a movie channel sometime over the next year, please check it out and support Canadian work as good as this.

Caught this canadian indie at the Montreal Fim Festival-FFM back in 2002, where it received the prize for Best first film: a finely written and well crafted jewel to add to the crown of canadian jewish-themed films, from "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" to Lea Pool's "Emporte moi" or "Felix and Meira". Set in Vancouver one summer before law school, it pits the doubts of a good son having fallen in love with an unconventional non-jewish girl, against the orthodox certainties of his established lawyer-father. As in any apt variation on the theme, wether coming of age or life-turning drama, the film seeks out the gray touches, and sensibly hits several: family loyalties, duty or desire, even national allegiance (in one strong scene where the beleaguered father recalls the price & privilege of having "a free homeland wanting you as citizen"...). A sincere and likely autobiographical Canadian film to rediscover. Promising director Ory Kowarsky was already a graduate lawyer at the time of filming: where is he now, why only one film, which tent did he choose?

[Ps: I was on that Jury so long ago and had pushed for the prize, so I'm still sincerely puzzled and curious]

A good movie to see if you want to better understand your Jewish friends. Intelligent, witty and worthwhile. I still don't understand why Josh's student friends tried to destroy the university library. There needed to be an explanation of this.

I caught this one at the Vancouver International Film Festival and has one of my local fav's Tygh Runyan (Antitrust, Disturbing Behavior and 15 Minutes). But most of all my favourite Vancouver actress, Carly Pope (Orange County, Disturbing Behavior and TV's Popular).

The movie was well written by Vancouver UBC student Ori Kowarsky, and avoided all Hollywood elements of a tragic love story between two twenty-something's that are restricted from seeing each other due to religious beliefs. More so than the writing being excellent for a small Canadian movie I was blown away by the filming in this show afterwards when the cast and crew announced it was filmed on HDTV (a DV format). This was stellar! Never once did I think this was something put together on DV and worked on later to look like film. So inspiring now that I'm deciding to start filming a few shorts as soon as next month. The color that was used in the movie had some very filtered film effects but still had a film grain texture to it that made a very warm looking picture. Another bonus was watching the opening credits and discovering that Tygh also did a portion of the score in the movie. It had a real ambient mellow tone that was very subtle and enjoyable.

Well let me get back to the cast and crew. Like I mentioned earlier the cast and crew were present after for a Q & A. I jokingly entertained the idea that Carly being an American teen idol would be present for the pictures premiere but was shocked to find out she showed up. She was just as stunning in person as on film. I think if she continues to do more independent pictures and story driven work she will be capable of sticking around a while longer as well unlike the rest of the nameless Popular cast. It was really great to see the entire cast except for Tygh (who was filming elsewhere), be able to show and support the picture for Ori.

I can't see this being a big theatre release but if you get the chance to see it on DVD/VHS or a movie channel sometime over the next year, please check it out and support Canadian work as good as this.

Various Positions is a fairly good watch if you want something depressing and self-loathing. You probably wont crack many smiles in this one, especially since the lead actor is horribly stiff, painfully stiff! The acting performances are mediocre at best unfortunately. Being a dialogue based movie the script holds up fairly well surprisingly regardless of all shortcomings in the actor's performances, and this is what keeps the movie on its feet. The father has some funny lines, and Carly Pope does a good job playing the role of Cheryth as this character has the most personality in the film.

A movie that deals with similar themes as this one is Liberty Heights, but that takes place in the 50s so it's quite different.