Quiconque meurt, meurt à douleur

After reading the comments on this film, I came to the conclusion that it is hard to get the point. Since I just had a class interview with Robert Morin, I'm able to give some specifications...

First of all, the actors are not really actors. They're real ex-junkies who accepted to give some of they're time to an incredible independent filmmaker. The script was written to give the (actors) a chance to improvise. In fact, most of the dialogs are the junkie's real opinions on life and society. Morin gave them specifications on what subject they would have to talk about but he wasn't really giving them written dialogs. The director had already experienced this kind of work in the movie La Réception. The characters in this movie are actually real ex-prisoners.

Morin always mix up reality and fiction in his (home-video) movies. Has for the amazing camera work, brilliantly handled by Jean-Pierre St-Louis, it helps Morin carry the spectators into a deeply disturbing reality. Even if it can seem a little (sketchy) for some people, this camera work is the work a genius.

In this piece of art, Morin successfully tried to expose the mind of junkies. This film is more than a movie, it's an experience into the underground world of real misery, pain and dependence...

Winner of the 1998 AQCC Prize for Best Film, this movie deserves respect and admiration. The originality of Morin's art is totally incredible. But warning : Not recommended to the easily offended... In fact, if you have ever been chocked by any movie, don't watch any film from Morin's filmography.

Very provocative director Morin really got me with this one. For 1 hour and 27 minutes, I thought that this was real... I was shocked, very disturbed and afraid. But when I saw the killing of the policeman for a second time, near the end, I said to myself : oh oh! That's the big error of the film... One viewer said it's like a Blair Witch film. I think it gets further... Are these people really comedians? They're all very incredible! There are no full names in the titles. I'd like to know who is the young woman playing Mado... She's amazing! I saw that movie on television, very lately. I had it now on tape, but I don't think I will never live it the way I did the first time. Brrrrr...

What we got here ... is failure to communicate !!

This is certainly a disturbing movie. All shot inside the apartment of some junkies after a botched police raid. The SWAT team goes in expecting this will be an easy bust but they meet with a few junkies and crack heads armed with machine guns.

Pretty soon they have to back up leaving one cop wounded and another one taken hostage. The cameraman of a TV crew that was taping the bust for a local "trash TV show" is also trapped inside the apartment. So they begin to talk among themselves and their problems while the cops outside try to figure out a way to make them surrender and/or release the hostages.

Pretty interesting idea, especially having the cameraman shooting film inside the apartment the whole time. Hand held and very shaky camera of course but this suits this type of movie.

Lots of profanity (think they were trying for a world record !) and drug use as well. We get a glimpse into the life of a few of the characters. I would have liked for a little bit less of those repetitious "swearing, making speeches and shooting up" scenes and a little more character development, especially the character of Mado who is the most interesting for me (The actress playing her was also the best of the group, too bad we don't see more of her !)

The ending is also appropriate and believable although I would have liked some scenes of the cops outisde and how they were dealing with this big whole mess.

Good movie although a bit too repetitious in parts and certainly not for you if you are kind of squimmish (One character spends the whole film laying down on a couch, half awake or asleep as his mates shoot up drugs into his veins from time to time ... he provides some "comic relief" for them from time to time like when he soils his pants near the end of the film which makes them quite giggly !)

For those who appreciate "dark humor" ... to say the least !

3.5/5