They Who Surround Us

I watched this movie with some hope that it'd be worthwhile despite its rating only 6.1 on IMDb. I mean, it's from Canada right; home of Atom Egotan and Neve Campbell and Ryan Gosling and Bruce Greenwood. How bad could it be? The answer is: DEADLY.

Any comparison between Bergman and this boring load of tripe is simply laughable. Yes, Bergman's movies could be slow and depressing and, in some instances, one wondered where the movie was going, but they generally had something to sustain their running time and, most often rewarded those who were prepared to sit back and immerse themselves in what Ingmar desired to convey.

This movie was simply and terribly boring. It's NOT mesmerising. It's soporific. The ONLY aspect of its production which I found at all rewarding was the cinematography which was very lovely at times but which ultimately failed to satisfy when combined with the rest of the movie.

Acting - only fair. Direction - tedious and boring. Script - was there a script? Cinematograpy - nice at times. Enough said.

"They Who Surround Us" goes straight to my folder called "Watched but will never watch again".

I got to watch They Who Surround Us when it played in Toronto in September 2021.

On the surface it is a simple story of the repercussions of a death on a family but there is much more below the surface.

The setting & culture, (Ukrainian Canadians in Alberta in the 80's) is something I haven't seen in film before.

The cinematography, especially in the flashbacks is hauntingly beautiful & reminiscent of the Andrei Tarkovsky films I have seen & loved.

The story unravels slowly & subtly & waits until the end to connect all the dots in the different timelines.

I & my family, including my 11 year old, really enjoyed it.

Half hour in and there is no plot, no character dynamics, and dragged out scenes. When are Canadians going to stop producing crap films like this? If you are suffering from insomnia, this film is a sure cure.

So, full disclosure here - I am the composer on this film, and in response to what appears to be an almost vengeful review below, which lacks both a nuanced understanding of the film and any sort of authority that would convey the writer knows what he is talking about - here is what the genius Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan had to say:

'A sensitive and complex study of grief, as it filters through a family and echoes in historic memory. Centred on a riveting performance by Troy Ruptash, who makes his directorial debut with this ambitious film.'

I think I'll trust Atom Egoyan's opinion on this, and the many many audience members across Canada who have written and expressed how deeply moved they have been by this film.

I was raised on a farm not far from Vegreville so aside from the touching account of our Ukrainian beginnings, this was a wonderful reflection of memories from my youth.

Troy Ruptash portrays his character with such realism and heart that at times, I forgot I was watching a movie. Brilliant!

The young boy in the movie who played young Roman, Pierce Briggs, is a definite up and comer! He was great!!

The cinematography was amazing in this film. The prairie landscape was breathtaking.

Thank you for bringing rural Alberta to the big screen. I look forward to more and more, Troy!