One Week - Das Abenteuer seines Lebens

I had the privilege of being in the audience for the premiere screening of One Week last night in Toronto. As with many Canadian films, the lack of an appreciative audience was evident by many empty seats in Roy Thompson Hall. However, for those of us who were in attendance, we were treated to an incredibly funny (in a tragic way typical of many Canadian films) and touching film. Joshua Jackson (notably absent from the premiere), showed a great range and presented a complex, well-developed character. The scenery was beautiful and there were many Canadian touches to the film - the audience in particular seemed to enjoy the references to Tim Horton's and Canadian Tire. However, the story has a universal theme and will hopefully go on to be enjoyed by a wider audience from around the world.

This is another movie that if I did not have Netflix I most likely would have never seen. Having Netflix has led me to some really good movies like this one that I am so glad to have seen. This movie grabbed my attention with the opening scene so much so that I stopped it, called my wife in and asked her to watch it with me. I restarted it and not only did we enjoy watching it, but occasionally paused it to discuss the scene we had just watched.

Numerous times we laughed out loud during it and other times our eyes watered up. What a well told heart touching movie. Joshua Jackson did a great job in his role. I actually am one that thinks that Joshua Jackson, James Van Der Beek and Michelle Williams from the TV show Dawson's Creek are very good actors, though James has not been given the break he needs yet IMO. My wife and I both recommend this to others to watch and enjoy. Who knew there were so many statues in Canada? Another movie that I say "well done" and am glad to have spent some time to have watched it.

I think that director Michael McGowan really loves his main character, Ben. Ben is beautifully played by Joshua Jackson, a part which requires him to react to a lot of things. Ben seems quiet about most things, but not necessarily content. When told that he has cancer and only a short time to live, he's suddenly a man on the cusp of something. It takes only a silly message under the rim of a Tim Horton's coffee cup - "Go west" - to set him in motion. For the first time in his life, he doesn't just fall back into something familiar and comfortable - he takes action. He rejects, at least for the time being, the virtual death of invasive cancer treatment, and goes on a quest for the life he's never really experienced. And when he runs out of "west", as he's afraid he'll do, he goes even further. The road trip in this movie is the road trip, ever further west, to a destination of the spirit. To others, it seems as if he's running away. But he's not. He's running toward something. When his girlfriend and family try to reel him in to safety, to "us", he resists. In a moment I silently cheered he cries out, in frustration, to his girlfriend: "It's not about us! It's about ME!" That may sound selfish, but it's not. It simply means that there are places where other people cannot go. One thing I liked about this film is its adult take on its subject matter. Although frequently funny, it is also contemplative and suggests that, without being ostentatiously heroic, our actions can inspire others. While I was watching the film I was thinking that if it was about only this and nothing else I would have been satisfied. But a film about a man who doesn't stop while it's still safe - but who goes all the way. That appeals to me on a personal level.

In my opinion, One Week is one of the best Canadian films to date. I enjoyed it even more than Men with Brooms (which is saying a lot).

I loved taking the journey with Ben. The narrator adds a bit more depth to the plot, as we find how Ben touches various lives along the way. The beautiful scenery (which as a Canadian I take for granted) is visually stunning.

Ben's story in itself is both sad and heart-warming. For those weary of a sad ending, don't be - You will leave the theatre happy and inspired.

I will gladly recommend this movie to all my fellow Canucks and anyone else in the world.

I thought I'd post a comment on this as most of those commenting appear to be Canadian, and so I thought an alternative viewpoint may be useful.

I first encountered this movie as a trailer somewhere - I can't recall where/when, maybe a flight or similar. I remember thinking "Josh Jackson, haven't seen him in a while" (I hadn't seen any Fringe at that time) and "Lots of nice footage of Canada". And then promptly forgetting about it. A couple of months ago I got the opportunity to finally watch One Week, and I was overwhelmed. The movie has a very simple premise, and an equally simple theme, yet the direction, cinematography, script, acting, and soundtrack all conspire to convey an impressive depth.

The story itself I found powerful, and was drawn along. To be fair, parts of it did have a certain relevance to me, but I think that anyone willing to try to fully emote with the Ben character cannot help but be touched. Josh Jackson gives an excellent performance, producing a believable and likable character with whom you cannot help but empathise.

Initially I was put off by the strange narration, however over time it grew more important in telling the story of Ben Tyler and the characters he meets, and by the end had flourished into a character all of it's own. Furthermore, the narration as well as other characters insert a certain black comedy, largely stopping the storyline from getting boring.

Not being Canadian, I undoubtedly missed many of the 'in' jokes and references; I don't think that this adversely affected my enjoyment one whit.

A significant theme of the movie was that the world (and especially Canada) is a beautiful place, and the direction and cinematography capture this exceptionally. I haven't seen any movies recently which have created as visceral a reaction in myself - I freely admit that I was in tears at times.

Overall, I highly recommend One Week. Try to watch it when you're feeling a little melancholic or down, and with an open mind just to absorb the story and the scenery, and I'll be very surprised if you don't also enjoy it immensely.