One Week

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 just arrived home from seeing this film and I am very glad I went. If you get a chance go see it, or rent it when it comes out on DVD, I highly recommend it. I feel that One Week manages to be a thoughtful yet crowd-pleasing examination of a somewhat cliché expression without being overbearing or preachy... there are also some very very funny moments. The film uses celebrations of Canada, ranging from quirky to touching, to help weave around and through the big question/quest. Is it uniquely Canadian? Well I think in many ways "Canadian" is a moving target, and the elements of Canadiana used in One Week are strongly tied into the traditional ideas of Canadiana - the defining role that the natural environment has played in the personal and collective development of the nation. The vastness, beauty and wildness, and the beckoning of the unknown. Scenery aside, no matter who you are the story is one of an emotional journey one that some may recognize more than others and that all can understand and appreciate. Having said that I think the internal reflections and questions the film poses will make it resonates especially well with those who have experienced solo travel.

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 what I call a real gem. I have just finished watching this movie, and I'm still thinking so deeply about it. I'm a travel fanatic, what would I do if I were to find out what Ben finds out about his health and destiny? Probably just the same.

It's impossible not to think about "Into the wild" when watching this movie and make a comparison. Both film are great, in different ways though, this one is probably more into introspection, the story is more "pruned" when compared to the American movie, the characters met by the main man are different, calmer, probably less American.

I loved everything about this film: the landscapes, the message, the characters (Sam is a good and kind hearted girl which deserves better in her life, the families are described as warm and loving), the literary quotations, the music, everything.

A gem really not to be missed. And Canada, wait for me, I'll be travelling there some time in the future!

This is a very Canadian movie, not only in the use of the gorgeous cross-country scenery that provides both a backdrop and a reflective commentary on the main character's personal search but also because of it is patently outside the realm of the "regular" Hollywood (i.e. American) fare. This is not to suggest that only Canucks can enjoy or appreciate this wonderful, warm-hearted, evocative, simple story because the plot line and embedded themes are universal and timeless.

There is a leisurely quality to this narrative and a kind of inevitability to the whole story that makes it poignant yet full of strength at the same time. The voice-over done by a sonorously voiced Campbell Scott works so well that far from being intrusive as most add-ons are, it (he) becomes a character in his (its) own right.

This is one of those "festival sleepers" that will never have wide distribution but which will delight and uplift any who see it.