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A favorite movie of mine, Magnolia, is introduced with a narrator talking about odds and the unlikelihood of certain things happening and A Beginner's Guide to Endings starts in a very similar fashion. The credits for this Jonathon Sobol film are cleverly presented as parts of games of chance and from the outset there is that feeling that unlikely things are going to happen and this will be an unpredictable and unusual comedy. The Beginner's Guide was one of more than a dozen options available at the Domestic Arrivals Film Festival in London Ontario and it is one that I almost missed. When so many quality films are offered in such a short time frame sometimes difficult choices have to be made. This film was one of the best decisions I made and everything about it impressed me. The award winning screenplay gave the ensemble cast plenty of material to work with and their performances were all pitch perfect.

J.K. Simmons serves as an adviser to the White brothers, a family so dysfunctional that they could lower the property values in any neighborhood they chose to call home. Siam Yu manages to deliver up some laughs as a very credible Todd, the youngest product of Duke White's many misadventures. While Harvey Keitel doesn't need a lot of screen time as the Duke White character his presence is felt throughout the full 92 minutes. Any casting changes would have made this a different film and it likely wouldn't have been a better different. Everybody needed to be who they were to make it work as well as it did. The shooting locations in Niagara Falls are very familiar to most people, but because of the close proximity to London there may have been a stronger connection for the audience here. This isn't a film for everyone but it is one that l will go out of my way to see again.

Directors that play with time in non-linear ways take the risk of losing an audience, especially when the shifts are frequent and involve different periods and distinct yet connected stories. Gilles Paquet-Brenner handles the flashbacks , and forwards, very skilfully and provides sufficient clues using color palette and locations to inform the audience that the shifts are taking place. We are not left behind guessing where or when we are supposed to be in this 2010 drama. The story is truly about people and how the horrific events of the time impacted so many people, and how it continues to have an effect. It points a gentle finger at all of us subtly suggesting that it wasn't just the Nazis that were responsible. Other civilized nations may be as guilty as the French for our role in not stepping up when we could have. The anti-Semitic views of my relatives resulted in many Jewish persons that sought refuge here in Canada being denied even when the alternative, the death camps, though never spoken of, may not have been a secret. The film doesn't judge as much as it lets us see how losing a family member, or benefiting from the misfortune of others, does not transpire without consequences of a deep and personal nature. The acting impressed me throughout; there were moments when I wasn't aware that I was watching a movie. I felt that I had been transported to the places that the characters inhabited. The scene when the little girl introduced herself to the camp guard was both convincing and very touching. It could have come off as being contrived but Mélusine Mayance made it work. Kristin Scott Thomas as Julia was credible as a journalist with her own issues vying for attention as the story unfolds. The Holocaust is an event we should not forget but it is not the focus of this film. Mostly it serves as a backdrop for a compelling story of human tragedy and the dangers of turning a blind eye to things that we know are wrong. Sarah's Key is a film worth seeing but be sure to have a few tissues at the ready. You will be touched.

Movies that are heavily dialogue based don't come along very often. It is a difficult task to master and it requires some brilliant writing(MacIvor) and talented direction (MacDonald) to hold an audience's interest. Before Sunrise did this well, as did Before Sunset. The key elements are: a strong cast,and a subject that is important to more than just the characters on the screen.

This story takes place over the course of an evening. Following a montage of flashback scenes we find Vic (Tracy Wright)waiting for Kat (Molly Parker)in a restaurant where Vic does not want to be. She finds the place to be ostentatious, though Vic finds a much simpler way to say it. During the meal some light begins to shine on these two women and their oil and vinegar relationship.

After the restaurant, and a couple of flashes to what might have happened if, the camera journeys along with the pair to a 'Women in Music' tribute concert that just happens to be going on. Toronto at night gets some screen time as the drama of the reunion of the former friends continues.

If you are looking for a concert film, or the history of rock 'n' roll, then this is not the one for you. It is dialogue driven, rather than musically motivated. It is a story about relationships and life. There is one performance and that seems pretty amazing since the two have not see in each other in ten years. Sometimes the movie takes itself too seriously trying to offer the meaning of life, love and happiness through the words of a couple of former wannabe rock stars.

The performances by Molly Parker and Tracy Wright are compelling. There is a chemistry that makes the tension and competition between the women credible. Even after only knowing them for seventy-eight minutes the viewer is left caring about the characters and the outcome.