Road Party

I was really pleased with this film -- sure, it's teen sex-comedy pap, but at least the actors are respectable, the dialogue believable and the scenery terrific. As the genre goes, it's right up there with the rest, and in some ways even better -- i.e., as much as we wanted it to happen, when did Stifler ever really literally get it in the end? Tyler did (and Shawn Roberts looked really, REALLY great in that role)and they never bowed to cheapening the joke by making it into something that a straight guy would never recover from -- they even went so far as to have him like it! Unlike the American comedies, where the macho guys pull pranks to have a laugh at the expense of their friends, the characters here were supportive of each other, and watched out for each other (very noble, very Canadian). And did I mention that Shawn Roberts is really HOT! This movie is worth seeing (shame it didn't do too well at the box office) -- and when was the last time we got a Canadian road movie that clearly was shot in Canada?! Well done MUCH -- I hope you continue with similar films that put a Canadian twist on American (Pie) movie styles, even if they are low-brow. And to those of you who think Canadians shouldn't be making or watching low-brow -- get over it! There's room out there for us to watch all movie types, and whereas sometimes you want a movie that moves you, other times you just wanna see some hotties put into positions the American movie-makers won't touch (thank you "Cougars" scene!).

My friends and I were torn between Without a Paddle with the many known actors and Going the Distance a Canadian production with few people that we could identify. We decided that, being Canadian, we should give the Canadian movie our support. I need to say that we were not disappointed! Going the Distance had so much that is necessary to a great "teen" movie: fun, laughs, love, sex, drugs, alcohol and extreme behaviors. The movie showed us beautiful and some familiar locations, such as the Much Music Corner in Toronto. It is great to see that everything about the movie was Canadian and it showed people that we do not need to go to Europe for a summer trip and that there is fun to be had in Canada! "Eh!?"

There are people out there with good ideas that don't have the budget or the equipment needed to make a movie....then crap like this comes along and it makes you want to stab yourself in your own eye with an icepick. I hate Avril Lavigne so her cameo is a negative point in the movie, then George from much music shows up in the movie too which makes me want to jump off a bridge....and then the kicker....anyone for fake punk? Too bad cause Sum 41 is gonna be on your screen being all retarded and stuff too. Terrific, this is why they should stick to playing music videos and not creating utter crap and subjecting people to it.

And Thats All

Going the Distance was amazingly cute. I kept expecting it to go tragically corny and predictable, and it did... But it did it in such a fresh and funny way I'd watch it again.

I did enjoy the Canadian angle, that they never diluted, or make a joke of being Canadian. And they kept me entertained throughout, even if there were only 1 or 2 flat out laughs. Everything was funny, and the few jokes that were over the top were in great context

Plus, the cameos were amazing. How they got great names to play bit parts in a straight to DVD movie was pretty cool.

It's not a must see. But it is something you should see.

If you have watched as many Canadian movies I have over the years, you have probably learned to avoid them, at least if they are ones that have received funding from the government. However, when I learned that this one was aimed at a wider-than-usual audience than usual (instead of being just made for the filmmaker, his friends, and the art-loving government), plus the fact that I was able to see it for free (no way I am spending money on a Canadian government-funded movie!), I decided to give it a chance.

There are some positive things I can say about this Canadian movie. The scenery is breathtaking at times. This movie not only has a pleasant backdrop, it makes the movie seem more fresh. The production values, though low budget, are a step up from most Canadian films. Also, the characters are (for the most part), a more likable bunch of characters than what you usually get for a youth-oriented comedy. This probably also explains why the movie seems less crude than the usual youth-oriented comedies you see.

But overall, the movie didn't work. The main reason for that is pretty simple - the movie isn't very funny. Most of the gags are predictable and tired, with no imagination to them despite the enthusiastic cast that performs them. Another fault of the movie is that the main character (for reasons that I won't spoil) becomes somewhat less sympathetic in the last quarter of the movie.

Still, this movie is a step up for Canadian film-making. Let's hope it inspires other Canadian filmmakers (as well as the Canadian government) to make movies with an AUDIENCE in mind, instead of the usual arty crap that NOBODY wants to see (either in Canada or elsewhere).

(P.S. - This movie actually played on prime time television in Canada with all the nudity, language, and sex-related material intact, and NOBODY complained! The American TV censors could learn something from this.)