1981 GENIE AWARDS fs a pity Neil Armstrong wasn't there. and Murder By Decree — two products all of the nominees, unlike a year ago, rhe guy who uttered the immortal of the Canadjun, huh ? school of film­ enjoyed at least a week-long flirtation lanality: "Thafs one small step for making — dominate the proceedings on with the public at some Canadian theatre. nan," etc., would surely have marked so that occasion (sharing 13 of a possible 17 In short, distribution prospects for nomentous an occasion as the 1981 Proof awards between them), but French- recognizably Canadian films, French Jenle Awards by proffering some bona language films and stars were all but and English, are improving — partly ide heaviosity. I mean, planting your ignored by the voters, with costume owing to the publicity generated by a irch supports-on the lunar sands is one designer Louise Jobin {Cordelia} the nationally-televised annual awards hing But actually witnessing an entire Positive sole exception show. Sty's startled discovery of its own coun- A short 12 months later, with many of Interestingly enough, the most entei^ ly ?! ? That I respectftiUy submit is far by Gary Lamphier the bloated productions from that first taining part of the awards show Itself norfr fertile material for so punctilious boom' year played out or shuffled off to revolved not around elaborate choreo­ I pundit as the former NASA astronaut oblivion. Academy voters levelled most graphy or Brian Linehan's clever word­ The events at Toronto's Royal Alexan- The results of the recent Genie of their praise on 'little' pictures; those plays, but around the film clips. And Ira Theatre on March 12 not only low-budget ones that tell a simple story, that's as it should be. The fact that jnsconced tes bans dSbarras as the Awards hint that the demise of and tell it well. Micheline Lanctots L'homme a tout 'ear's best picture, it also established Hollywood North may be at Not all has changed, however. As was faire didn't win any awards is perhaps Edmonton drama teacher, Thomas Pea- the case in 1980, few Canadians had the best evidence that there were no :ock% as Canadian filmdom' s best actop hand; for this year's best films actually seen the nominated films. weak entries among the contenders; )f 1980. Justly honoured though they Aside from Tribute, which enjoyed a unlike last year, the industry had every vere, neither the film — which grabbed come in small packages marked high-powered Christmas break in hun­ reason to show off its best jight awards — nor the blustery star of dreds of North American theatres, none Though Trudeau (with actress Kim rhe Hounds of.Notre Dame, nor even "Genuine Canadian Product" of the best picture nominees have enr Cattrall in tow), and Atlantic City stars he remaining group of Genie winners joyed nationwide exposure. Given the Burt Lancaster and Sarandon provided constituted the evening's key revela- work on Gilles Carle's much-maligned language barrier, it is unlikely that even a taste of last year's bevy of superstars, tioi^ft'or that matter, neither did such Fantastica. That single award equalled Les bons debarras, despite its criticsd the 1981 parade of certifiable celebs was lotable items as Alberta Watson's the total ni^jnber of awards garnered by acclaim and the post-awards publicity, noticeably shorter. There were no out­ :leavage, the identity of Pierre Trudeau's the only film that had received wide will ever venture beyond the largest pourings of gratitude to former Canadian ipeechwriter, or the whereabouts of distribution prior to the awards: cities and into the hinterlands. A ruffled ambassador Ken Taylor and his coura­ Host of the winners.) Instead, the key Tribute. The $8 million Garth Drabins- Peacocke put it best stating as he ac­ geous countrymen from The Six Million piece of news at the second annual ky/Joel B. Michaels production received cepted his award, "I had an opportunity Dollar Man, and no words of encourage­ iwards ceremony was'the historic,dis­ 11 nominations in all — the same as Les to portray a great Canadian hero. But ment from One Who Has Been There (ie. covery by the bastion of Canuckified^ bons debarras. Yet the film's irre­ you know whaf s really sad about it ? I'm Jack Lemmon) — though Cattrall assured jliti, Hollywood North, that yes, there is pressible star. Jack Lemmon — who playing a hero and no one's seen the all that the Tribute star would have life beyond the Don Valley Parkway. won as best foreign actor — was the only movie. That says a great deal about our made a "wonderful" speech had he \nd people even make films Out There, one to salvage a bit of hardware for industry and our country." (A security been there. (Lemmon was in California sometimes, very good films. About Drabinsky/Michaels, a team that won man at the post-awards dinner unwfit- shooting a Billy Wilder film.) One inat­ Zanada, of all places. eight Genies a year ago for their 1978 tingly drove the point home when he tentive reporter even found himself Well., before you could say the production. The Changeling. failed to recognize the award-wanner squeezing his way around the anatomy I Academy, of Canadian Cinema, Marie Obviously, the aesthetic proclivities and refused him admission.) Neverthe­ of Louise Fletcher in the theatre lobby — nfo and Germain Houde had cornered of the Academy s 600 voting members — less, Peacocke's filni did have a com- the actress soaking up the attention that Ihe market on the best actress and best about 60 percent of whom live in Toronto •mercial run out west albeit a brief and bypassed her during the show itself supporting actor awards. The director — have altered somewhat ft-om that inauspicious one; Les bons debarras Nope, the 1981 awards didn't need to of tes bans debarras, Francis Man- knock-kneed first awards night of a (unlike The Changeling) was playing import its stars. Like the industry, it had ldewic% had pilfered one of Sorel Etrog's year ago. Not only did The Changeling in theatres on Genie Awards night; and grown a little. • statuettes too. As did Michel Brault for the film's cinematography; Andre Cor- riveaisfor editing; Re jean Ducharme, for its original screenplay; and Henri Blondeau and Michel Descombes, for ove^all sound. Only Peacocke's sterling portrayal of Pfere Athol Murray, in Wourid»(an.Alberta production), and Kate Reids best supjjorting actress award for/If/antic City, USA, prevented Les bans debarras from conducting a neat blitzkrieg on all the major awards. (And this despite a budget of $600,000 - or roughly .003 percent ofl980'sproduc- tion total.) In fact the only other multiple win­ ners were Louis Malle's Atlantic City, USA - a Franco-Canadian co-production - and The Lucky Star, a Montreal pro­ duction directed by Max Fischer. The former won for best foreign actress Susan Sarandon) and art direction §, Anne Pritchard), along with best sup- t porting actress (Ms. Reid). The Lucky Star, meanwhile, also won in three =ategories: for sound editing (Jean-Guy Montpetit), music score (Art Phillips), ind adapted screenplay (Max Fischer, lack Rosenthal). Ms Pritchard, whose ibsence cost Ms. Sarandon the evenings Host embarrassing moments, won a iecond Genie for her costume design

Sa-y Umphler, former staff reporter of CintMae ' 'Pnsmtly.fiwiance writer workingin Toronta Genie photos by Ron Levine A fitting finish: Brian Linehan, Larry Dane and Gale Garnetl toasting the Genies

Toller Cranston - keeping his balance for a swooning admirer

Winston Recket - the price he pays for stardom ill.AJk 1^'''^^^^ h Susan Sarandon stands back

Love me, love my coat! York- ville hairstylist Murray Cooper

22/Cinema Canada - April 81 / dream of Genie with a gilty pate. gracious candor ("This is the first thing I sibility of grit was killed in glitz. ] don't know why: something I ate ? ever won and I appreciate it"), followed As if the imitativeness was not (Traditional song) by a well-intentioned portrayal of the depressing enough, the whole affair arrogance and imperialism of Her People. evoked a sense of waste, of lost oppor^ The best one can say about this year's Phoney The Canadian crew on Atlantic City, tunity. It is ironic that the theatre life of Genie Awards is that they could have USA was "professional in every way." Canadian films is seemingly dependent been worse. Francis Mankiewicz's Les she allowed, as if this were a matter of upon the Awards' showcase, when, in bons dibarras would be a distin­ surprise or note. Then the poor girl was fact the Americanization of the celebra­ guished winner in any country in any stuck on camera to announce the two tion discourages confidence in that year So, for that matter, would be Baloney design winners. As both categories same product ~^^ Micheline Lanctots L'homme a tout were won by the absent Anne Pritchard, Will The Handyman {L'homme a faire. We can be gratefiil that there was by Maurice Yacowar Ms. Sarandon accepted the awards she tout faire) play across English Canada no unseemly rush to reward the lugu­ presented. Then she made the best even though it didn't win any of the brious Tribute, or the muddle-headed Some say it was the best ever. editing presentation. Her prolonged biggies ? Will Tom Peacocke's best actor Lucky Star (wherein it is implied that a stand poinfed to the paucity of stars on award resurrect The Hounds of Notre Jew can achieve heroism by adopting the Genie roster. Moreover, Ms. Seu-andon Dame (before its American title-change the mythology of the American gun- For him, this year's Genie showed all the poise and control of an to 'Puppies of the Prairie Priesf) ? Does slinger, much as the supposedly "Cana­ epileptic ferret At the opposite extreme, anyone out there care ? dian" film plunges into American telecast was gravely off colour. Burt Lancaster's patriarchal appearance While the stars and asterisks gathered genres, images, tones and values for musical spectacular seemed to have had dignity and style, but his Leopard onstage for their (Oscar^style) cham­ self-fulfillment). Similarly, the indefen­ wandered in from another channel and 1900 associations made him pagne party, the Canadian film-fan had sible Terror Train won nothing Throughout the program, the set shot embody the American industry's rigid to feel a little flat For like Canada itself, though its four technical nominations off hokey flares that seemed uncertainly paternalism. why should its film industry be sustained left it with excessive shreds of respect­ to evoke Star Wars and Hockey Night The second telling example was if it is only a pale copy, of the American ? ability. Such justice is rare in any in Canada. In all this glitz the only Sneezy Waters's rendition of "Jamba- What should have been a celebration awards competition, so we'can be grate­ touch of simple Canadian humanity laya." This might have been a tempting that promoted the Canadian in film ful for small mercies. was when a rumpled Mordecai Richler appetizer for the film of his show Hank became a squeaky pretense at being But this relief should not divert us slouched onstage in his peccable gray Williams: The Show He Never Gave, American. As far as Canadian content from the essential wrong-headedness of suit tie askew, to announce the winning but the warm and homey number was was concerned, the only subject dis­ the whole Genie operation. Simply, it is screenplays. (Plus the sloppy bleeping corned by a mess of dance, from jive cussed with ardor was the background silly to celebrate Canadian film in such that left in the sweai^word in the clip through square, that blew the song's (and fore) of Trudeau's date (Kim Cattrall a transparently American ritual. It from Atlantic City, USA). context of a suffering singer in a seedy the lusty lack-lustre vacuity from recalls that Fernwood Tonite gag Two scenes typify the show's essen­ bar. In this moment as in the show as a Tribute). Otherwise there was no where Frank Sinatra Jr. establishes his tial folly. The first was Susan Sarandon's hole [sic], the potential humanity and challenge to the show's assumption that own fame by singing "My Way in exact­ prolonged stint: she won the best foreign character were encrusted by the con­ Canada's maturity and vvorth lie in how ly his father's tone and cadence. actress award, which she accepted with ventions of the Oscar show. The pos­ American it acts. • This self-disrespectful imitation per-^ vades the whole show. It is implicit in the organization's name. The Academy of Canadian Cinema. The prize itself is a gold statuette that looks like an eviscer­ ated Oscar, standing cross-legged to avoid further violation. So, too, the ironic aptness of its name : the Genie recalls a foreign giant that springs out of a magic lantern to bolster some 97- pound weakling (Aladdin Canuck, boy cineaste.'). The build-up to this year's show reeked of this disrespect for Canadian film. The poster was a vulgar, sexist affront that pretended to be a Muybridge primer for artistic success through the casting couch. The ad run in the cinemas showed more Canadian than last year's but still relied on the lure of Jack Lemmon, Bruce Dem, Ann-Margret as if they were Canadian stalwarts. Of course, none of the named showed. Hardest to swallow was the ad's closing salute to the audience for being such great supporters of Canadian film. It was enough to make you retch. Or at least, to kvetch. The Genie show lived down to its promise. Brian Linehan was smooth and engaging enough, and he even braved the danger of wandering from his spot into comic and lyrical routines, but the show as a whole felt like the Oscar-nomination that it was. So we had the tiresome routine of envelopes and "And the winner is..." The opening

Maurice Yacowar teaches film at Brock University, St Catherines, Onfan'c^ where he is also Dean of Humanities. He reviews film on CBC-FM'S "Stereo Morning', and his new baoK Method in Madness: The Comic An ofMel Brooks, mV/bepufafis/iedt/ite fall by St Martin's Press. Veteran film­ makers, Vi and Bob Crone, proud as punch

Sharing the spotlight actress Kim Cattral and her most distin­ guished escort, P.E.T. himself

"How about the second kiss?" says Micheline Lanctot to Academy Presi­ dent Ron Cohen

Comedian Howie Mandel wouldn't be caught dead without his handbag: here, he chats with Gino Empry

• The elegant Denise Filiatfault entering the Royal Alex with Gordol^insent 24/Cinema Canada - April 81 All those interested in the future of the murky, lyrical one. garage-mechanic, Ga6tan seems familiar Canadian film industry should take a Les bons debarras is the story of a with his small-town style of '60s wild- good look at Les bons debarras. It mother and daughter, and the mother's ness and long hair. Gilbert Sicotte does a perhaps best represents the direction mentally slow brother. Mankiewicz good job in this secondary role. our national cinema should take if it is Shooting Fortunately, ill of the performers - avoids dwelUng on the family's economic to establish itself internationally as a hardship, to concentrate on their pei^ except perhaps Laurier, who is too distinct cinema of quality. Francis Man- sonal relationships. Still, we vividly see young to be judged in this respect — kiewicz^s film has it all: it is a superbly a family at the lowest end of the great avoid the Hollywood-glamour and crafted, beautifully acted, sensually and for the North American middle class. And it girl/boy-next-door stereotypes. They intellectually satisfying film reflecting sinks in. In this, the film's social state­ look a bit ordinary, but have an ability to its regional origins. And it is low-budget ment is powerful instead of preachy. 'hold the screen.' Just what is needed Many films have good moments: one Charlotte Laurier's brilliant portrayal for this film and for future non-American will have fine cinematography, another Best of Marion is reminiscent of Robert Bres­ Canadian films. first rate performances; but too few son's "Mouchette." Both girls are the Although the narrative, the acting; films manage to achieve an overall, by John Locke central figures in their narratives; both and the human significance of this film consistent high level of excellence. are hovering at the edge of poverty with are all admirable, it is the little touches Low-budget films made outside of the only one parent in view; both are in­ added to every scene (Michel Proulx's film capitals suffer most With enough Francis IVIankiewic2fs latest dependent and aggressive. But Bresson's notable art direction and Diane Paquets money a HoUywood/Paris/Rome direc­ child/woman resolves her problems by costumes) that make the film so special: tor can easily hire a team whose exper­ film proves that ifs not the committing suicide, beautifully, while the humorous portrayal of the village tise should assure at least technical Mankiewicz's child/woman shows her­ policeman shown under the credits; competence. But all too often-Canadian money but the thought that self to be in active control of her life by the decision to shoot at the height of the films with one really good performance, the end of the film. Perhaps this could fall foliage in the Laurentians, and on or interesting cinematography, ulti­ counts. be taken as a comment contrasting and on. mately fail because of weaknesses in young women of the '60s with those of Les bons debarras is a film that suc­ other areas. It is terribly difficult to the early '80s. ceeds because both the major, and minor assemble a film team which can main­ has now become a cliche — often used The performances are uniformly decisions were carefully, sensitively, tain quality from the origin of the story by Chabrml and DePalma, among others. excellent The one actor who destroys and knowledgeably made. Congratula­ idea, through production to the release Still, the cinematography in tandem the flow of so many Canadian films with tions Francis Mankiewicz. Congratula­ print Les bons debarras, if not flawless, with the editing produces some very a poor performance in a small role tions Canada Congratulations Quebec. is still a veiy fine film for having achieved memorable sequences. There are startling cannot be found here. While Laurier's is The hope is that Mankiewicz will be a consistent level of excellence — ap­ but successful cuts from dark images to the single most extraordinary per­ able to resist the offers he will have to propriately reflected by its dominance very bright ones. Manon is sleeping. formance, she is not alone. Mjirie Tifo as direct trashy international films. If he of the Genie Awards. Then instantly a cut replaces her repose Manon's mother, Germain Houde as the has the courage to continue to make Michel Brault has created wonderful with a howling red chainsaw. Or the brother, and Gilbert Sicotte as Ga^tan a series of low-budget modest regional images in the film — as might be expected night sequence, in which Manon is (Manon's mechanic friend) are all films, his work could represent a new torn a cinematographer of his stature. devastated upon hearing her mother remarkable. Marie Tifo has an intensity beginning for Canadiaii, and particularly When a police car drives ofl' down a confess that she is pregnant followed and presence perfect for her role. Quebec cinema. It would be good to see highway, the camera is positioned so by a straight cut to a wdndow flooded Thankfully she avoids projecting a star him make a series of films using virtually low that there is an unusually strong with intense light the camera move­ quality which would be out of place in the same cast production team, and sense of the road and the receding car. ment revealing the mother routinely this film. Although Germain Houde has a general location. Frequently, film­ This demonstrates an effort to develop preparing breakfast An important part look that occasionally resembles Jack makers are prematurely tempted to the story through shots which go far of the editing style consists of these Nicholson in The Shining, he deftly move on to the New (story, cast produc­ beyond the ordinary, but stop short of straight-cut transitions between walks a tightrope between appearing to tion team. Money) before having ex­ being gratuitous. Such attention to sequences which mi^t have been be slightiy insane, strangely introverted, plored one style fully. Courage Francis images is seen throughout the film. linked by fades or dissolves. The result or simply not cdl there. It is a difficult Mankiewicz! The Mercedes can wait; Take, for example, the narrativefy ef­ is a clean, clear narrative rather than a role, played well The grdwn-up-kid- Canadian cinema is in a crisis. • fective and visually arresting shot of young Manon (the central character), as ^est Film Director of 1980, Francis tvlankiewicz (right) getting the goods from David Cronenberg (who's not doing too badly himself!) she decides not to go to school. The single shot over her body reclining in bed focuses on the school van pausing outside to wait for her, then continuing on its way without her. Another shot uses a rising camera to reveal Manon reading Wuthering Heights in the bath. The character's economic poverty is not allowed to dictate an oppressive poverty of images. Despite the film's visual richness several quibbles can be made about the cinematography. The most serious one being that some of the sequences, particularly those around the home of the wealthy woman, make excessive use of the "diffuse images/burned-out windows," 1970's-style of cinemato­ graphy. Though this technique makes narrative sense in the fantasy-like enr vironment of the wealthy, the diffuse/ burned-out look is beginning to resemble a relic of the past Similarly, there is a sequence where the camera revolves around Manon, to represent someone circling her on a bicycle. A perfectly ' good idea, except that this type of shot

John Locke is Associate Professor of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal