The High Cost of Living

The High Cost of Living (2010)

There is something about this kind of slice-of-life movie with a major hook--in this case a car accident and an injury--that makes you want to watch. And here we have a rather realistic depiction of working class Montreal which is interesting as a backdrop, unromanticized.

The two leading characters, a Francophone Canadian and an Anglophone New Yorker transplanted to the city, are equally realistic. They find themselves needing, and helping, each other to get through the crisis. You grow gradually to like them just as they slowly learn to like each other, though whether a romance comes out of it is always in doubt.

But this isn't quite enough to sustain a full length movie. There is no significant secondary plot, there is no terrific surprise or second phase after the first problem gets resolves. Instead, the main problem (which I'm trying not to give away) is stretched to cover the whole extent and so it gets slow. Often.

It's interesting enough you stick with it, but you'll wish for me. I think it's probably true a different pair of leads--including the more famous Zach Braff--could energize or give depth to the role in a way that would fulfill us all better. And the situation they find themselves in is actually fascinating--a little dramatic and unlikely, yes, but leading to an inevitable climax. The relationship grows with delicacy but little emotional complexity.

Until the last scene, which is a beautiful way to bring it all to a close.

I just saw that movie at Tiff bell box , it was on the Canada top ten list of this year. This is the first movie of Deborah Show.Pretty amazing cast. The title contrary of what some people thought is really boring it says everything: you are going to see a drama, you are going to experience what life is dealing with.

The story makes us remember of 21 grams without a so specific direction. I would say, its a good movie but nothing in ordinary about it even though the main idea was unique ( I personally never heard about it ), it seems that Deborah didn't show anything specific about her way to direct, but she's maybe too young for that..

Lots of cliché , the direction don't give us any chance to be surprise, in contrary it's pretty sad how much everything we expect to happen, happens.. I was pretty disappointed about some scene which were too neutral, without any emotion contrary of what we could expected.

I'm not sure how this film snuck past me until now. It's an absolute masterpiece.

Isabelle Blais' performance is amazing. My heart was breaking watching her, she was so good. I really felt her pain. I really wanted to hate Braff's character, he's not necessarily the most stellar human being – but he's oddly likable.

I loved the quietness of the film. Its character driven, and reminded me of the Hal Hartley films I loved when I was younger.

I'll be looking out for Deborah Chow's next offering. This has gone into my favourite all-time films.

I've just finished watching this movie and I must admit I didn't expect it to be as great as I think it was. First of all, the plot was original. When I read what was the movie about I automatically wanted to give it a try which now I think was a good impulse. The cast was unknown to me with the exception of Zach Braff whom I consider a great actor after seeing "The last Kiss" and "Garden State".

Second, the narration of the story was well done and I think there was nothing else to ad, of course the ending leave me hanging because I wanted to know what was going to happen next but nevertheless was a terrific ending. I just wish the movie could show all of that on the rating, the current one doesn't make it justice. I highly recommend it!

Terrifically emotive film. Almost too much to bear watching at times. I was, i guess surprised that only two other reviewer here seem to have experienced it in a similar way. At least, I'm not the only one.