Whitewash

"You know, they say, that every guilty person is his own hangman. They also say that tomorrow will be a better day." Bruce (Church) is a snowplow operator in the cold desolate Quebec woods. He spends his nights alone with a bottle. One night when the two mixed he winds up accidentally killing someone. Rather then do what is right he decides to do what he can to cover it up. While he thinks of ways to hide what he did he begins to remember the man he killed and the events leading up to the tragedy. This is a hard movie to review and explain. The movie is good and Church is great in it but on the other hand it is pretty slow moving and not much happens. The movie reminded me a lot of A Single Shot which came out a few months ago. Both deal with accidental killings and the lengths these loners will go to to cover up what they did from the world but are unable to run away from it mentally. If you liked the Single Shot movie you will enjoy this. For everyone else it is one you will either like or one you may not be able to finish. Give it a chance though you may be surprised. Overall, good acting and Church does such a great job that it's almost worth watching just for him. I give this a B-.

I had the pleasure of seeing Whitewash at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival or KVIFF for short. I went to see this film while knowing nothing about it because that is sometimes the way you see films at KVIFF. You buy a ticket and go see a film that you know nothing about. I strongly recommend going into a movie which you know nothing about because that way you can enjoy it much more.

A snow plow operator accidentally runs over with his mini-plow a man walking on the street during a blizzard. That's all you need to know about this film's plot. What ensues after this accident is a the perfect blend of drama and black comedy. Surprisingly Thomas Haden Church's Bruce spends most of the movie hiding in his snow plow and trying to figure out what to do next.

Thomas Hadden Church gives here the best performance of his life. Very minimalistic though but very gripping and funny. The film shows how physically demanding Bruce's survival is. (The story is set in Quebec, so the winter there is very harsh) Thomas Haden Church portrays a man who is unwilling to die even though he is doubting if living is worth the struggle. But all this can be told with a lot of humor, even if the situation wouldn't be funny in real life.

After the screening there was a short Q&A session with the director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais. He said that although the winter looks very harsh, during the time of the shoot the winter was very wimpy so they had to help themselves with a few special effects. After the Q&A session ended I went up to the director and asked him for an autograph and asked him if the Coen brothers was an influence on this film. The answer was: Of course! The guy seemed like a very sympathetic fellow and I look forward to seeing more of his work.

A Canadian drama; A story set in snowy rural Quebec about a man who makes himself prisoner following a tragic accident. The main theme of this tale is that a good deed that turns bad does not go unpunished. It's well acted, with Haden Church bringing some humour and an impressive monologue to what is a tragic development for his character. It's a slender film, but it does have some impact as a crime and punishment tale.

Director Emanuel Hoss-Demaris & writer Marc Tulin have only made two films: both of which are unexceptional but quirky. Prior to 2018 dramedy "Birthmarked" they co-wrote 2013 Canadian small-town crime-drama "Whitewash" in which Thomas Haden Church (solid) hits & kills Marc Labrèche with his little snow-plow, hides the body, then careers off into the surrounding woods where he's trapped / hides out. The men's brief history is revealed via flashbacks, as Haden Church it seems goes rather mad - but those expecting a clear cut conclusion will be disappointed. Hoss-Demaris & Tulin are an off-centre duo indeed... what might they produce next?

In rural Quebec, drunken Bruce (Thomas Haden Church) accidentally kills a man during a snowstorm with his snowplow. He hides the body and drives away into the woods. He wakes up to discover his machine is stuck in the snow. As he tries to get his machine out, the paranoia and his guilt starts to drive him mad. Flashbacks reveal that the dead man was Bruce's house guest Paul (Marc Labrècheas). Paul tried to commit suicide and keeps trying to take advantage of Bruce's generosity. It becomes obvious that this is more than a simple accident.

It's an interesting performance from Thomas Haden Church. Paul is an off-putting character and Marc Labrècheas is good. It is still a tiring movie where everything is so serious. The movie grinds down the audience. I have no particular rooting interest in Bruce. His struggle is not compelling and his 'friendship' with Marc is questionable. I guess a drunk is likely to make stupid decisions.