Lack of good storyline.

Better Late Then Never

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

I usually avoid Canadian movies funded with taxpayers' funds since they are almost always big bores. But I decided to take a chance on this movie because the description on the DVD box sounded intriguing - plus the fact that I could watch the DVD for free by taking it out from my local library. After watching it, I could understand why the distributor didn't give this much of a theatrical release (if any). First, I think I should admit that there were some things I liked about it. It's a pretty good looking movie, with good cinematography and scenic locations; this is one Canadian movie that had something of a budget and good care taken with it. Also, the direction by Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais does capture the feel of a Quebec winter very well - you really feel the cold and uncomfortable feel of it. And it was nice to see a Canadian movie that actually admits that it's taking place in Canada.Unfortunately, despite the merit I reported above, the movie in the end fails to work as a whole. Most of the blame can be placed on one thing: the script. First, there's a big problem with the Thomas Hayden Church character - we never get a real feel to what makes him tick, nor do we learn much about his past. I didn't know what to make of this character or feel about him. Church does try hard to make the character come alive, but even his great efforts can't make his role a fleshed out enough character. Another problem with the script is that there are some really unbelievable things that happen. (Would someone try to commit suicide right in a public parking lot? Why did the cops not take Church's friend's car in for evidence after discovering he was missing? Wouldn't the various people who spotted Church committing crimes in the wilderness reported him to the cops?) The most unbelievable thing in the movie, however, is the ending. I won't say what happens, except to report that it's not only unbelievable, it concludes things in a very unsatisfying manner that feels way unfinished. As the credits unfolded, I was saying to myself, "That's IT???"Canadian movies may now look good, but you'll see from this movie that more often than not they still need work in the script department.

Although I thought this movie got a little tedious and that some of the plot elements didn't quite add up, I still found that it pulled me in right from the start and kept me intrigued throughout.It's basically a two person film with the fine actor Thomas Haden Church leading the way and starring as Bruce. He's been drinking heavily since his wife died a year before, while living in the Canadian wilderness. However, his livelihood as a snow plow driver has been shut down, as his license has been revoked for driving drunk and crashing into a restaurant.Marc Lebreche, as Paul, is the other major player here, and rather than write too many spoilers here I'll just say we learn a lot more about him as the film progresses. I can say that the movie opens with Paul running desperately through the snow covered streets of the town, while Bruce is shown driving his snow plow in a snowstorm with very poor visibility. Suddenly, we see the plow crashing straight on into Paul.Through flashbacks, we'll eventually learn how these two men got to the opening scenes, and it is quite a journey we're in store for. We'll also see what amounts to a wilderness survival story and a slow descent into madness, which, as mentioned can get a little tiresome, but still kept me quite engrossed.I thought this was quite a good effort for a directorial debut from Emanuel Hoss-Desmaris, who also co-wrote the script with first time screenwriter Marc Tulin.Overall, I felt this film had its' limitations, but I still found it to be an intriguing and engaging watch.

Whitewash is the first full-length film from Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais. Because he is not that experienced with writing and directing, I feel I should be gentle with this review, as I do not want to discourage Emanuel—he shows some definite promise with this film. Whitewash has many qualities that show he's on the right track with his career and he should definitely keep working at improving his craft. The problem, however, is that the movie has very, very, very limited appeal and I cannot see it being a commercial success.The film stars the familiar actor, Thomas Hayden Church and it was quite the coup getting him for this project. You'll probably know him from such TV shows as Ned and Stacy and Wings but he also has been in quite a few films—including the critically acclaimed Sideways.The story is set in Canada and most everyone, other than Church's character, speaks French. It begins with him driving his snow plow down the road during a bad storm and running over a guy who is standing in the road! Inexplicably, instead of contacting the police, since it appears to be just an accident, he buries the body in the wilderness. Soon after this, he wrecks his plow and is stuck—and it might just be because he's drunk…though you really aren't sure. Why he doesn't just go for help is difficult to fathom initially and slowly during the course of the film you realize that there's more to the story. This film is told through a very familiar method in recent years—telling the story out of sequence. It seems like the story was chopped up and pieces of the beginning middle and end are all mixed together. I have liked this style in some films, though I must say that perhaps this style is a bit overused and it makes the film a bit confusing. This is not the only reason that I think that the film is for a very select audience. I say this also because Church is pretty much THE star of the film and he is in all the scenes in the film. Much of the time, he's all alone and talks to himself while hiding out in the woods—and this sort of film is certainly not one to appeal to anyone wanting action or traditional story telling. Additionally, he's not a particularly sympathetic character in the film—further lessening the film's appeal. Now none of this is to say it's a bad film—it isn't. It is unique and may appeal to some people who feel like they've seen it all and want something different. As for me, I respect the project—but I also didn't particularly enjoy it nor could I see myself recommending it to friends. Instead, I say let's see what else Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais can do in the future, as his directing style seems solid—I just think the story was one that doesn't have widespread appeal. A very curious film, that's for sure and I can easily say that I've never seen anything like it. Considering that I've written over 16,000 reviews (mostly on IMDb), this is saying a lot.

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.