Male Fantasy

I just saw "Male Fantasy" at the second showing during the Vancouver International Film Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed it... I wish I could recommend for people to go see it, but after chatting with the director, Blaine Thurier, who was on hand for a Q&A after the showing, apparently, there are no immediate plans for it to be shown in the near future. I hope a distributor picks this up... the movie deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

This movie is a very enjoyable black comedy about a slightly pathetic, often annoying man who is struggling to escape a fit of depression after being (we assume - I don't believe it was actually clearly stated why they are separated) kicked out by his wife. His attempt to recreate himself as a god who can create his own reality is an over the top but perhaps not totally unrealistic portrayal of the ups and downs of someone trying to recover from a relationship gone bad.

There are several scenes that had nearly the entire theatre in stitches; some, because they are outright funny, but more often than not, because the protagonist probably reminded us of some of the more embarrassing incidents in our own pasts... but the laughs are also punctuated with some more sober, even chilling, scenes that I felt reminded us to see the characters as humans and not just a source of humour.

I haven't seen the director's first movie, but I have read that it won an award for best feature at the annual South By Southwest arts/multimedia festival in Austin, Texas, and it's easy to see why, if it's anything like this one. Despite the fairly low budget shoot, the editing was excellent, and the dialogue and acting were both excellent. Again, I hope that this film has a chance of reaching a wider audience...

I saw this on a lark at the TIFF and was quite pleased with it. The main character seems to have no redeeming qualities, which is always a great place to start for a comedy.

The rest of the characters are either selfish, insecure, or needy and often all three. Again, this makes good fodder for funniness.

The humour is dry... very very dry. So don't go if you enjoy Jerry Lewis gagfests, but do go if you like Curb Your Enthusiasm.

There was an actual (simulated) sex scene in the film, though, which I thought was too real for the frame of the narrative. Other than that, this is a fine opportunity to go to a film to laugh at others, then wonder on the way home... "hey, maybe I'M like that"

This is a hilarious comedy about Andrew, a perpetual loser. Having separated from his wife months, maybe years ago, he is yet to conquer love. Until he has a revelation. That he, and we are all gods. We create this reality. The only thing stopping us from getting what we want--ourselves. So he repeats this to himself ("I am a god. I create this reality.") for a few hours as he follows woman around the city asking for a date, the time, maybe just some coffee.

Eventually he does score. With a low-esteemed woman named Lucy. At first it could be love at first site. We quickly realize after the deed has been done, that she was just a source of inspiration for Andrew's new found confidence. Now he really is a god, and any woman he wants is at his disposal.

You can guarantee to laugh at Andrew and his quirky friends. Hilarious it is, but there are character moments so pathetic, you can feel your heart churning. This is one of the best Canadian features this year, and possibly the best off the west coast.