La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes

Unlike anything you've seen before, this film is not meant to be a fun ride, yet it is a rewarding one. From a visual standpoint, this films succeeds unlike any other Quebec film from recent years. The use of wide angle lenses and black and white reminds us of an unlikely cross between Terrence Malick and David Lynch. It is without a doubt one of the best shot films in recent Quebec cinema. As for the acting, it is stellar. The standout is obviously Marine Johnson, who has to play an incredibly difficult role and is simply unforgettable as the main character. How she appropriates herself the character, all the small details she puts into her performance to make this character believable makes this performance nothing short of heartbreaking. Antoine L'Écuyer is great as usual, giving here a dry, brutal yet nuanced portrayal of a despicable character. The father, played by Jean-François Casabonne, is... disturbing. I'll leave it at that. If you can handle the harsh subject matter and like being challenged a bit, maybe even provoked, while watching a film, then this is for you. Although I would be hard-pressed to find a film I can say is actually similar to this one, I would recommend it to fans of Yorgos Lanthimos' work, Kubrick's "The Shining" and Lars Von Trier's "Antichrist". In case you didn't catch my drift, faint of heart stay away! Everyone else, enjoy the show.