Escape to Canada

The stuff in the film exposing what has happened in Canada and how the US has tried to stop it blew my mind. Quite shocking. The irony is here is that you have freedom movements being hindered by the so-called "Land of the Free." I loved it. Even though Escape to Canada is a doc, the experience was almost like seeing an action film. What you see in the Canadian context is that marijuana and same-sex marriage can be legalized and there is essentially no harm done. This is why the US has to make so much effort to reality here. The same way the US has to portray universal healthcase as a disaster. In fact, universal health care, like marijuana and same-sex marriage legalization work! Sorry about the rant.

I enjoyed this documentary but I was wanting to enjoy it more. In the end, it wasn't funny enough, short enough, or politically or historically focused enough. This film was essentially a recap of the summer of 2003 in Canadian history. The documentary trod back and forth between gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana without fully covering either story completely or in context of a broader historical perspective, Canadian/U.S. relations, or post 9/11 politics. What did I expect? I guess something that was perhaps more 'documentary' in style but considering the subject matter also had a good dose of tongue in cheek irony to keep the whole expose light hearted and moving along. Instead I found myself checking my watch and wondering when they would get on to the conclusion. Its good, but not great.

I wish it had been a great documentary. And it would have been if the viewpoint had not been so narrow. The main focus was on gay marriage and legalizing marijuana and Canada is so much more than that.

With credit to the director, however, he starts well, showing Canada and the post 9/11 Bush USA veering further and further away from each other politically and culturally. As the USA becomes more fundamentally Christian, Canada becomes more 'hedonistic', with freedoms that embrace all.

Many Iraqi soldier veterans are shown applying for landed immigrant status here,others joining them who are uncomfortable with the marijuana laws in the States.

However, and it is a huge however, this narrow spectrum does not encompass the many other freedoms here which are never shown. I wanted more on the consistently and comparatively low crime-rates, medical care, educational systems, our treatment of the aboriginal peoples, the tolerance for ethnic diversity, the safety of our cities, the high per capita percentage of artists and writers, etc., i.e what makes this great country work so well with so little crime.

The doc title was also different in the opening tonight, it was called 'Escape to Canada.' It was a fun opening, the packed audience truly showing the diversity of our citizenry, capped beautifully by a butt-naked male streaker running outside through traffic on a very busy Bloor Street after the show. 7 out of 10.