A Geek’s Month in Review: March 2013

More than half the covers of this month’s videos featured men holding guns. It’s beginning to look a little like Noirch again.

Despite the most prominent display of weapons in our Canadian content yet, national pride in arming ourselves is debated by and large academically. But this I know: we can be fairly proud of our thrillers.

As much a surprise to me as anyone, this month was a test only in its exceptional quality. Even the “middling” pieces were entertaining. Nearly everything I saw I wanted to sell Gru on watching too. I know she’d love Assassin’s Ball, Chloe, Lucky Number Slevin, and Weirdsville. At least she took a chance on The Boondock Saints and — ha! — she loved it.

I’ll just have to keep evangelizing CanCon even more convincingly. To that end, here are my top five for this March, my favourite, surprise, disappointment, least-liked, and a role-reversed Warner gangster flick.

Favourite
The Boondock Saints (1999)
by Grushenka Geusebach on 2013/03/24
by Hacker Renders on 2013/03/02

* * * *

“Okay, now this is over-the-top ultra-violence done right. No slapstick, no excess gimmickry. It’s like the highlights of others before and since, distilled into an intoxicating rush.”

Surprise
Chloe (2009) on 2013/03/23

* * * *

“Clearly marketed as an erotic thriller, it could hardly meet such expectations. Erotic only in very few and brief sequences – at least in the version I saw – it’s a “thriller” insofar as you find rocky relationships thrilling. It’s more a character drama, but an interesting one.”

Honourable Mention
Repo Men (2010) on 2013/03/28

Disappointment
The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) on 2013/03/25

* *

“There’s an obvious joke to be made about believing in this X-Files movie, but I’m hesitant to make it. Either I no longer care or I’m just too disappointed.”

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Least-Liked
Shoot ‘em Up (2007) on 2013/03/09

* *

“And the loser is . . .”
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Dishonourable Mention
Sacrifice (2011) on 2013/03/20

Show Me
G-Men (1935) on 2013/03/11

* * * *

“There’s a nice little complexity in this tale. James “Brick” Davis (James Cagney) isn’t your run-of-the-mill whitebread G-Man. There’s a lot of grey in this tale and in this hero. I think it makes you like him even more.”
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