R E v I E w 5 • • lV networks from within. And so by cor­ Robert Boyd's rupting the morals of American youth, turn that country into a nation of media morons - all this as an act of revenge upon the U.S. thought up by William The Lyon Mackenzie King because Mary Pickford, and all the original Hollywood Canadian Canadians Gack Warner, Louis B. Mayer etc.) other than brief visits to Trawnah Conspiracy supposedly refused to come home again and make movies here. Ressentiment, or self-hatred inflated into culture, expresses itself most onsider this for a moment. Let's say strongly against the past. The Cana­ the United States dropped a mega­ dian Conspiracy is thus a classic Cmega-ton nuclear bomb on Canada, example of Canadian ressentiment what might the response of the Cana­ brought to you, once again, at tax­ dian survivors be? One possibility might payers' expense via the 'public' net­ be that the Prime Minister would write work, in which an authentic past, al­ a letter to the U.S. President explaining ready hopelessly beyond caricature in that, though such an action was embar­ its absurdity, is made even more grotes­ rassing to the Canadian government, que by the glorification of its power­ the Prime Minister did understand why lessness. In The Canadian Conspi­ the Americans had to do it. Another racy, the formulae of cynicism which possibility might be to give S800,000 of some Canadians have so successfully public money to a Canadian company carried into American media - that is, to and have them put together for summer a country which at least has some airing on CBC an ironic film in which values of its own it can be cynical about the nuclear incineration of Canada - is here turned onto Canada. But as would be presented as a typically Cana­ Canada has no values other than imita­ dian use of technology to finally give tion ones (and weather is not a value), this country weather as warm as the humour overall just trips over its Florida's. If you find either of these sug­ own flat feet (and as John Candy ex­ gestions funny, you must have liked plains, the difference between Amer­ The Canadian Conspiracy which icans and Canadians is that Americans • Mary Pickford, one of the Canadian Conspiracy's original conspirators CBC-lV ran June 8. have stylish, elegant feet while Cana­ If you missed The Canadian Con­ dian feet are big and have treads). stant reference to a place called Ota­ verly Hills pools or RoUses, saying "Gee, spiracy, you missed yet another exam­ It was not all humourless, of course. wah. Or Eugene Levy's self-satisfied it's hell here." Or, within the film, ple of that brand of Canadian 'humour' The segment which proves conclu­ quip that "There's an American born CBC's self-congratulation at having which, like an animal with its leg caught sively the relationship between Lorne every minute." trained so many Canadian conspirators in a trap, gnaws it off, snickering all the Greene's success in the U.S. and the U.S. Eternally funny is Pierre Trudeau's fa­ to better serve American showbiz. while at its own cleverness. The 90- Department of Immigration's (ever in­ mous disappearing act as he pirouettes Somewhere, there's a Biblical proverb minute program takes the black hole of creasing numbers of) Green Cards, in­ off the edge of the This Hour Has about lV networks in glass-houses ... Canada's cultural non-policies in film cluding Greene's deadpan denial, is Seven Days set. Despite clever archival footage, much and television and makes it into a hilarious. Funny too are the typical Less funny are all your Hollywood spoofing of NFB documentaries, bril­ paranoid fantasy of a giant Canadian American cliches of Canada as a blank Canadians (Leslie Nielsen, Margot Kid­ liant editing, and all your contemporary conspiracy to take over U.S. movies and desert of snow, or the voice-over's con- der, Tommy Chong) sitting by their Be- lV computer glitter, The Canadian NUMBER ONE COMBO· TO-GOI AssociatiDn'" c canadian F film ~c CranspeDple

September 1986 - Cinema Canada/45 • F I L M R E v I E w 5 • Conspiracy just went on and on with overkill. For instance, three sequences of Leslie Nielsen trying to remember Paule Baillargeon's the names of all those other "talented If· Canadians" he went to school with up z there in Cainada (as the Americans call it). Sonia Ideally this should have been nothing more than a typical IS-minute Cana­ dian Reflections film, which is where CBC normally slots its summertime made-in-Canada stuff that nobody watches; Dallas isn't on anyway. In­ stead, the nation got an hour and-a­ uebec's Paule Baillargeon, best halfs worth of primetime leg-gnawing, known and respected as an actress with such gems as the voice-over's Qand filmmaker (La Cuisine "Canadians will stop at nothing to cap­ rouge), should find glory added to her ture every American box-office dollar." reputation with Sonia, which she co­ Or, in the same vein, "Politicians will do wrote, directed as well as acted in. anything to camouflage their direct re­ Sonia premiered in Montreal on June sponsibility for the Canadian conspi­ 15 as the major closing· night attraction racy." for Silence, dIes tournent, the second In fact, as Lorne Greene Himself put International Festival of Women's Films it in The Conspiracy's one second of and Videos. truth: "There's never been a Canadian Sonia is about a woman who, literally conspiracy. There's no such thing as a at the prime of her artistic and profes­ Canadian conspiracy." sionallife - as a painter who teaches art Maybe it's time there was one. Unfor­ history at a university and lives an inde· tunately a Canadian-made send-up of an pendent, fulfilled and apparently finan· American-style spoof about a conspi­ cialkly worry-free life - d~scovers she racy that never was seems to be the best has Alzheimer's disease. Surrounded by we can come up with. loving and supporting people, including • Paule Baillargeon, left, as Roxanne and Kim Yaroshevskaya as Sonia her daughter Roxanne, Sonia's life could Baillargeon), it has a personality that in tween Sonia and Roxanne there is re­ Michael Dorland • not be more near-perfect - until the ad­ essence is Sonia herself - as Sonia loses spect, tenderness and love, of the kind vent of the disease. her vitality, so does her home. Signs are possible only in the absence of a father· Dreading the film's potential for put up indicating which doors lead figure. Yet there is the nuance of an THE CANADIAN CONSPIRACY d. maudlin melodrama and sentimental where, furniture is overturned, toys and edge - that edge inevitably existent be· Roben Boyd p. Bill House co-po Barbara Tranter sc. Robert Boyd, Mark Achbar, Michael Short narr. Damir emotionality, Sonia caught me off­ knick-knacks left in disarray. Sonia's liv· tween mother and daughter. We watch Andrei cast. d. Gail Carr asst. cast. Susannah Con· guard and captivate4 me. Instead of suc­ ing space is a symbol of her mind - at Roxanne as she watches her beautiful, eybeare p. sup. John LaRose cons. p. Paul Block cumbing to tragedy, Baillargeon creates first orderly, open, modern, then filled talented, vivacious mother, wondering d.o.p. Martin Corley light des. Brian Savage key grip Chris Tate p. sd. Dave Schick loco man. David Bani· two warm and admirable female charac· with corridors, rooms and doors that perhaps about the struggle "to be" that gan 1st a.d. David Devine 2nd a.d. Jack Hardy sc. ters, who change the whole focus and can no longer be travelled through with would include Roxanne's own struggle sup. Leslie Druker art d. Marlene Graham head dynamic of the film. While it is still conscious knowledge and safety. to emerge from the shadow of such a ward. Eva Richter asst. ward. Linda Muir make-up about a woman whose life slowly and Barb Szablowski p. assts. Michael McGarry, Peter Several beautifully conceived and mother. As actress, director and writer, Zakrzewski, J.P. Locherer L.A. unit Tom Bull, Brian visibly slips from her, Sonia is also moving scenes indicate the talent at Baillargeon has managed to imply all of Crance, Paul Weiss N.Y. unit Michael Lieberman, Tom about the relationship between a work on this film. One that I found the emotions and situations particular Nelson, Jim Misner unit pub. Prudence Emery res. mother and daughter in its most most memorable and expressive occurs to the mother/daughter relationship; Amy Wilson stills Jack Hardy CBC cons. Athan Katsos post.p. A1ndon Group Productions post. p. re-rec. idealized form. Because it is the reo about a third of the way through, after the recognition of one's self in the other Masters Workshop Inc. Terry Gordica, Jim Frank asst. lationship between Sonia and Roxanne Sonia begins to experience prolonged and the desperate need to break· away to p. Karen Cowitz p. acct. Michael G. Woods UT ed that makes this a remarkable film. lapses of memory, and time and place and assert one's individuality that coin­ Dave Goard orig. mus. Marc Jordan, John Capek info. systems Mark Achbar assoc. p. Nathan Neumer To lose oneself in one's own world, become distorted. She packs a suitcase, cides with an inexplicable love. J.p. Gratien Gelinas, George Buza, Deborah Cass, where the familiar becomes strange and convinced that she must go away. Not Both actresses, Kim Yaroshevskaya as Keith Knight, Chris Tate, Alan Wilbee, Mickey Cos· time has no meaning, must be a journey recognizing Roxanne she busily folds Sonia and Paule Baillargeon as Roxanne tello, Michael Kohut, Bruce Vavrina, Michael Cope· into the vortex of a terrifying night­ man, Bernard Bebrans, Linda Sorensen, Ian Wallace, and packs while Roxanne .empties the bring the relationship alive, and it is Eugene Levy, (with cameos by) John Candy, Tommy mare. That nightmare is Alzheimer's dis­ suitcase. The camera stays on their much to the credit of their talents that Chong, Susan Clark, Monry Hall, Lome Greene, Doug ease. The first indications of Sonia's ill· hands, frantically struggling, as Roxanne the film is what it is. It is not easy to play Henning, Margot Kidder, Rich Little, Howie Mandel, ness come on her birthday. First she Lome Michaels, Anne Murray, Leslie Nielsen, Ivan tries desperately to bring her mother's someone re·experiencing childhood Reitman, Morley Safer William Shatner. Martin Short, forgets it is her birthday - in itself not mind back to the present. Their panic and not look ridiculous. Yaroshevskaya Alan Thicke, Dave Thomas p .c. Shtick Productions so peculiar because an active and in· and anger is evident in their hands and faced a difficult role and plays it with Ltd. in association with Home Box Office Inc., the volved person may honestly lose track voices - faces or eyes are unnecessary grace and intelligence. Her anger, her Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and with the par· ticipation of Telefilm Canada. of the date. But at a party that evening and, in fact, would probably have been gentle patience and her girlish silliness, Sonia makes a tender speech of too pathetic. all remain in character - Sonia as gratitude to her daughter and friends, Another moment that I found one of created by Yaroshevskaya. SONIA d. Paule Baillargeon p . Michel Gauthier, then several minutes later repeats it the darkest of the film , is when Sonia If I have one problem with Sonia, it Roger Frappier. Suzanne Dussault SC. Paule Baillar· word for word, oblivious that she has geon, Laura Harrington nan. Jocelyn Berube, Pierre seems to be moving further and further is with the idealized world it encapsu­ Curzi. Daniele Proulx, Gilbert Sicotte d.o.p. Andre· just said the same thing. Everyone is back into the past, sometimes a child lates. And that is a problem I've had luc Dupont, Roger Martin asst.-cam. Michel Girard taken aback but lets it pass. Other minor and sometimes a young woman. Her with other recent Quebec productions. sd. Serge Beauchemin boom louis Marion film ed. events occur, but it's not until Sonia dis­ Yves Dion asst. ed. France Dube orig. mus. Yves hair on end and sloppily dressed, she The worlds created within these films Laferriere prod. d. lorraine Richard art d. Fran<;ois appears for several days and cannot ex­ putS on an old furry hat and neavy coat, are so beautiful, everyone is so success­ Laplante orig. paintings Paule Baill"!geon 1st a.d. plain where she's been that Roxanne then wanders around her apartment, ful, I never forget I'm watchrng Lise Abastado 2nd a.d. louis· Philippe Rochon cont. realizes something is seriously wrong. lost, apparently unable even to read the "movies." There is an insistent degree of Johanne Pregent unit ma.n. Luc Martineau prod. assts. Claude Laflamme, Marc Beaulieu eIec. Nor· Against Sonia's wishes, Roxanne takes signs indicating the way outside. We unreality in them, but understandably, mand Viau asst. eIec. Manal Hassib stills Jacques her to a doctor who so typically ex­ have no idea where she wants tb go, nor the tragedy in this film would have been Tougas grip Jean Trudeau ward. Lise Bedard make· plains that it's probably nothing - "the does she. The intelligent, sophisticated too intense if Sonia had lived in any less up Pierre Saindon ward asst. Patrice Bengle, Ian Lavoie trainees Marc Doyon, Marie·C1aude Larouche. change of life, that's all" - and pre· Sonia has gotten lost inside this woman perfect a world. But I couldn't help louise Pepin sd. ed. France Dube post p . ed. Gilles scribes something to help her sleep. who visually has the same effect as bag- wondering what kind of a film it would Quintal sp. efx. Ken Page c.f.e. asst. sp. efx. Vital Mil· Sonia herself finally sees another doc· ladies can. Some people in the audience have been if she had - or about those lette mixer Jean· Pierre JOUlel, Adrian Croll trans. tor who recognizes the symptoms Johanne Pelletier post sync. Cine·groupe tides actually laughed, responding only to the more average people who find them· Louise Overy admin. Monique Utoumeau asst. which, after further tests, are diagnosed comedy of that instant, but losing the selves victims of Alzheimer'S disease. admin. Louise Cousineau p . sec. Johanne Pelletier as Alzheimer's disease. Through this context of Sonia's increasing disposses- At 58 minutes, Sonia has the look of mus. rights Evelyn Regimbald tech. coord. Edouard first third, the film flows, creating a vi­ Davidovici post p .d. Suzanne Dussault I.p. Kim sion of self. a made·for-lV movie in its small spaces Yaroshevskaya, Paule Baillargeon, Lothaire Bluteau, sual world and atmosphere that con· While Sonia is essentially about a and tight framing. It is pleasing to see Paul Buissonneau, Michael Rudder, Raymond Cloutier, notes balance, beauty and security. woman and Alzheimer's disease and the the NFB deploying its talent with a view Marc Messier, Blanche Baillargeon, Frederique CoUin, Sonia's home is an important visual manifestations of that disease crux toward the mass audience. Suzanne Gaulin, Louis Marion. A1banie Morin. Louise ~he St.Pierre, Guy Thauvette p.c. I'Office nati onal du film focal point throughout the film. Filled of the film for me was the re'tationship du Canada running time 57 mins colour. with her paintings (in reality painted by between mother and daughter. Be- Jamie Gaetz •

46 / Cinema Canada - September 1986