CATRIONA PAUL at the Movies.

HOW FUNNY is a film about cancer, in French, with subtitles? The answer – surprisingly funny, and definitely worth a look. The Barbarian Invasions is an intelligent drama/comedy from Franco-Canadian director Denys Arcand, (best-known for Jesus of Montreal, 1988), which focuses on the last months of Rémy, bon viveur, womaniser and cancer sufferer. An Oscar-nominated screenplay is honoured by a fine cast to create memorable characters with something to say on themes as far-ranging as the decay of Western culture to a life well-led.

Stuffed in a corner of a busy hospital, and lucky not to be parked in the corridor, life-long socialist and academic Rémy (Rémy Girard) is face-to-face with the reality of Canada’s NHS. Enter Rémy’s rich son, Sébastien (Stéphane Rousseau), London banker, video gamer, literary dunce, yet bringer of good things. Son hated dad’s philandering; father can’t stand boy’s money-making. Yet Sébastien’s dollars buy a private room, expert advice and enhanced painkillers (heroin).

Rémy’s supplier is junkie, Nathalie, played by Marie-Josée Croze (winner of the Best Actress award at Cannes). Despite youth, beauty and intelligence, Nathalie is unattached to life and seems to have no memory of it ever being worth much. Yet debating life’s worth ultimately proves useful to both; Rémy finally deciding his life has meant something and Nathalie opting for methadone.

The Barbarian Invasions faces an uphill struggle to win over British audiences because it is in French. Combined with a tagline which mentions the Big C, you could be forgiven for opting out of Les Invasion Barbares for something easier. But you’d be missing out: this film is enjoyable, entertaining and uplifting. So show the auld alliance still means something and buy a ticket, toute suite. (Okay, so technically the auld alliance is with France and this film is Canadian but you know what I mean.)

LES INVASIONS BARBARES (THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS) (18)
General release, selected cinemas.

Director: Denys Arcand
Writer: Denys Arcand
Stars: Rémy Girard, Stéphane Rousseau, Dorothée Berryman, Louise Portal, Dominique Michel, Yves Jacques, Pierre Curzi, Marie-Josée Croze, Marina Hands
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 99 min
Country: Canada / France
Year: 2003

© Catriona Paul, 2004