The Law of Enclosures

THE LAW OF ENCLOSURES. Starring Sarah Polley, Brendan Fletcher, Diane Ladd, and Sean McCann *****SPOILERS*****

I will start this review off by saying... this film is like no other I have seen in my lifetime... the feeling you have after it's finished is so over powering and astounding. I don't want to give away everything since this movie is hard to put into words in the first place, it's a realistically painful movie to sit through, you'll have to definitely see it for yourself to get the whole picture. The idea was taken from a novel by Dale Peck and turned into this beautiful creation directed by John Greyson... the movie is set in Sarnia, Ontario Canada in 1991. The story focuses on two couples struggling during the backdrop of the Gulf War in the Middle East, switching back and forth through out the film to two different lives and how everything effects them. The story starts with the younger couple... Beatrice and Henry. Beatrice is alone and lost working at the grocery store with her best friend Myra. She has to go through the same boring trials and tribulations as any normal young adult would... but her other half Henry has one unusual dilemma that could be fatal. Beatrice is instantly smitten was she sees the tumor on the back of his bald head while standing in line at a drug store... she is even told by the cashier that he has aids and is a "fag" plain and simple that isn't worth her time. Still, she doesn't know him... but that doesn't stop her from trying to see something in him that other people don't give the time to see... She wants to see what's underneath all his pain. She won't keep her eyes off him and this leads to her following him home ... she basically starts to stalk him. The connection that starts off their relationship is obvious after she confronts him and gains his trust. It happens fast, but Henry is very distant and has never experienced a loving relationship ever in his life. Once they become close it's tough on them and awfully painful for Beatrice to have this hanging over her head that any day Henry has to have this operation and it's a 90% chance she will never see him again... but the love they created will give young Henry something to live for. The other couple which are a lot older (Henry and Bea) have been married for over 40 years ... they go through the same routine everyday and have the same vicious arguments constantly. They are so bitter and cold, and hatred ends up isolating them from one another. Their opening scene begins with Hank telling Bea to "stop being such a c*nt." With the old couple it appears nothing will get better... but as you see through out the film, the tables turn with both relationships drastically, everything flips to the opposite. What I found very unique was that there's this comparison to the Gulf War during the movie... showing flashes of it off and on, it's always playing on the television that each of the character are watching as a hint to the viewers. There's also a symbolic meaning with the Red Deer that is spotted in the very beginning of the film, it goes to show that love is rare and sooner or later what you created will fade. There's always another time for it to come back around again though after all... the references in this movie are incredibly meaningful yet hidden... they remind us how things we love will eventually be detonated in the end and everything in life is counted down to that very last number until there's nothing left anymore. You'll end up seeing how Bea and Hank end up bringing back the love they once had for each other times ten, similar to what Beatrice and Henry first started off with... and you'll see how the young couple go downhill and their relationship turns into pure resentment and depression. I must say, the score for this film by Andrew Zealley and Don Pyle makes it even better and puts you through a maze... you get so into the movie, it grabs you in for an disturbing and emotional experience.

I have seen The Law of Enclosures twice now. Although there are several flaws in the film, there are also many moments of brilliance. The director wove wonderful metaphors throughout the film, and the cinematography also had its moments. Brendan Fletcher gives an amazing performance - as always. I, personally, was fascinated by the film and am looking forward to director John Greyson moving onward and upward.

I bought this film on a whim because it was cheap and looked interesting; what I got was a moving story about the repetitious nature of romantic commitment. Greyson draws many resonating parallels between the older and younger incarnations of the couple, demonstrating that some dynamics never really change, especially in smaller, economically resource or industrial based towns. This is not to say that there is nothing progressive about the film; on the contrary, the narrative structure of this film is very complex, and the careful juxtaposition of ideas and images reveals a lot about the reassuring nature of companionship, even of the most frustrating kind.

The film depicts the relationship between Beatrice and Henry as children, teenagers, and an elderly couple. The narrative, however, presents all three stages during the Persian Gulf crisis. Greyson ties these elements together with the use of a clock which "stops time" (in essence).

The film tends to be a bit on the strange side, but has a good story and a great concept. A nice change of pace from the usual narrative! Based on the novel by Dale Peck.

I stumbled upon it unexpectedly but it was marvellous, my next step is to read the book. I recommend this movie to anyone both young and old, it'll definetly capture you. The actors are amazing in particular Sarah Polley who shines!