Waydowntown

Very funny independent Canadian film that shows what happens when four people make a bet to see who can stay the longest indoors. They all work in an office tower that is linked to malls , other office towers and their apartment buildings by closed-in walkways. The film begins on day 24 and the four are starting to show signs of cracking! All that lack of fresh air is taking its toll. I especially liked the main character, Tom, who is having a hard time keeping everyone focused. What makes the film so funny is that we can all easily identify with the co-workers who share office space with these four. There's a great scene where one of the four tries to have sex with a co-worker in a very narrow bathroom stall!

Overall, a great film to see if you are in the mood for something just a little different.

I'm going to be honest. I saw Fab Filippo on Queer As Folk and wanted to check out some of his other work. Yeah, he's gorgeous, but that isn't the only thing I liked about this movie. It's so funny, and so well done that it has become one of my favorite indie films. If you've ever had to work in a cubicle and felt like a rat in a maze; if you've ever had co-workers you were sure would be starring in a hostage negotiation; If you've ever let someone continue to call you by the wrong name because it's just easier, WayDownTown is about YOU. The bet that these 4 co-workers have undertaken requires that they stay indoors for 24 days and counting. Their voluntary confinement combined with that all-too-familiar daily grind has resulted in a wicked sort of "mall buzz". Tom (played to absolute perfection by Filippo) carries the movie along with running narration that we hear as he tries to multi-task while stoned. He runs into an assortment of difficult people and to make matters worse, he's starting to hallucinate. The head trips he's pulled on the other 3 involved in the bet are taking full effect and we gradually watch them all come unglued in situations that are funny because of their familiarity. The movie does a great job of making one day run into the next, just like real life. What color is his tie? What color is her sweater? Wait wasn't he wearing a blue shirt? The colors in the movie are used to enhance the stifling artificiality of the office and the attached mall. You won't be able to resist trying to figure out who the Bradley in your office is...

The film starts off being narrated by Tom (Fab Filippo), as we are first introduced to him on Day 24, smoking weed in a parkade to pass the time. We soon learn that in his meaningless cubicle Dilbert job, he is involved in a contest with 3 other employees to see who can stay indoors the longest in a downtown network of office buildings, shopping malls, food courts, apartments, and skywalks. The one who stays in the longest, will win a months salary.

The name of this place is not mentioned in the film, but for those who can recognize it, it is Calgary's downtown network. I guess due to it's size and huge facilities that it is attached to, you could practically spend the entire time never having to step outside, going from work to home and everything you need in between. Heck doesn't sound that far fetched, I even heard one person can spend their entire life in Chicago's Sears Tower and have everything they need. Needless to say the bet starts to take its toll on the characters sanity, and our lead hero Tom starts wondering what he is to make of his career and spiritual life, as his mind is slowly falling out of his body.

This movie was a lot of fun for me. I totally identified with Tom, who is trying to find something else meaningful in life, and work-hell being the catharsis for it. The movie is funny, and even has 3 particular gut busting scenes (which I won't give away). It's easy to see why Tom is so disenchanted, the place he works at is dull and boring, a firm named what else (Mather, Mather & Mather) headed by an octogenarian. We run into his other co-workers like (the VERY attractive) Sandra who is in on the bet, and at wits end since her supervisor orders her to follow Mr. Mather around the network cause he's a serious kleptomaniac (he goes around to all the stores and shoplifts like crazy!). For Tom to pass the time, he starts playing mind games on Sandra telling her the air is constantly being recycled and filthy, and if it feels stuffy. As a result we see Sandra running around the network constantly gasping for air, loosing her mind, and then even resorting to ripping out perfume inserts in a book store and sniffing them like a drug addict. Tom's other problems are 2 cubicle mates, Brad (Don McKellar, not in on the bet) a long standing employee who's been around TOO long and gone nowhere a ticking time bomb waiting to go off (everyone calls him Sadly Bradley), and Curt (who is in on the bet) a cocky arrogant, turtle neck wearing thinks he's cool but is not type of guy, who only refers to Tom by calling him ‘Dinkus'. Fun fun fun… who wouldn't be loosing their mind in a place like this?

This movie reminded me a lot of another film very similar called Office Space, where the characters are similar but different. It's different cause the film has some neat editing scenes, and goes into some fun philosophical points as Tom describes his non-existence while swimming around the downtown area. This makes the film more reflective and poignant, where Office Space is more goofy and fun. Also while Office Space has more cartoonish like characters, these characters are a little more complicated. The other killer was there was one supervisor who looked EXACTLY like the head supervisor for my department in this film (and for all I know may even have the same temperment!!!). But the similarities are the same in that the characters are both trying to figure out some type of meaning in their life in their HORRIBLE MEANINGLESS jobs. Some may criticize it as, Gen X whining but I don't think so cause here the complaints are valid, where as a film like Reality Bites (which is one of the most offensive and worst films I have ever seen) is pure stereotyping.

This is just a well done, good unique film. It is not BRILLIANT, or REVOLUTIONARY, but the story is memorable, and the film should definitely be seen by more audiences. Due to the nature of Canadian films being distributed, the chances that you may see this film are probably small and that's a shame cause it deserves a bigger audience.

Rating 7.5 out of 10

A hilarious psychological comedy where 4 Calgary coworkers bet on who can go the longest without going outside. The exaggerated personality degradation and hallucinations are funny and successful at drawing the audience into their warped world. There is a glass ant farm that is shown often as an allegory to the people living in the channeled tubes of sky walks & high-rises, and it serves a narration at a couple points. The actors did convey a sense of disorientation from having been indoors for 24 days, but it seemed from their behavior that they were indoors somewhat longer. The story takes place in one fateful day when several big events occur that they can't fully handle because of the bet induced stress, but a critical enlightenment is also realized. In this 18 day low budget shoot, the location and background information are left fuzzy intentionally as are the costume changes that occur randomly. This was shot in DV which made the post production effects much easier on a budget, so they are used with good results throughout the story. Film maker Gary Burns feels that the sky walk system "ruined down town Calgary," and even the title is part of his film statement of "modernization gone terribly wrong." This movie is worth going to see if you can find it.

OK, I'm not from Calgary, but I headed down there for the film festival to check this one out. I spent an afternoon in Calgary's Plus 15 system being totally, utterly, lost. Then I saw the Alberta premiere of waydowntown. Finally a film from the prairies that doesn't involve hearts breaking in wintry farmhouses! Clever use of digital Beta, 35mm, and security cameras. Brilliant use of colour. Exceptionally well acted, fine deadpan performances from all. And most importantly, WELL WRITTEN. Smart, funny, unpretentious. Gary Burns rocks.