Review: ‘Oh, Canada’ is director Paul Schrader’s wobbly salute to guilt and suffering

Review: 'Oh, Canada' is director Paul Schrader's wobbly salute to guilt and suffering

As a movie connoisseur with over four decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that “Oh, Canada” is a peculiar blend of nostalgia and disorientation, much like trying to find my glasses after a long night at the movies.

Forty-five years after Paul Schrader initially portrayed Richard Gere as an “American Gigolo,” he’s now cast him as a typical American ladies’ man in the film, “Oh, Canada.” This thoughtful and intellectual reflection on life follows the dying confessions of Leonard Fife (Gere), a Montreal-based documentarian who has consented to have his final moments captured on camera by his former students.

In the 2021 novel “Foregone” by two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Russell Banks, Schrader adapted the script for a film. In the book and screenplay, the filmmaking team – spouses Malcolm (Michael Imperioli) and Diane (Victoria Hill), along with their assistant Sloan (Penelope Mitchell) – originally planned to portray their old professor as an anti-war activist who chose exile in Canada instead of fighting in Vietnam. However, Leonard, the subject of the documentary, is tired of pretending to be a martyr, particularly around his weary wife Emma (Uma Thurman), and decides to use the camera as a confession booth. The filmmaking crew then present the alleged atrocities committed by Leonard through staged flashbacks. The repetitive nature of these scenes leaves us questioning how much of his heartfelt confessions are genuine.

Schrader attempts to capture Banks’ poetic style using narrator Cornel (Zach Shaffer), who is Leonard’s abandoned son, but since the son spends most of the story off-screen, the narrative device can become puzzling. Schrader and Banks were friends prior to the latter’s passing in 2023, and Schrader vowed to title his adaptation as Banks had desired but couldn’t realize. The Great White North serves as a symbol for an unpassable border, much like the River Styx of ancient Greek mythology. In essence, this film could be named “Oh, River Styx.

On the screen, truth and illusion seamlessly combine into a delightful concoction of memories. The hazy visual depiction is evident: At times, Leonard appears as if he were Gerard, portraying the character fearlessly without any self-consciousness as the camera captures his unguarded skin. More frequently, Leonard conjures up an idealized image of himself, embodied by Jacob Elordi, a charming yet aimless womanizer in this role. It requires audacity to cast an actor who is significantly taller than Gerard, and then to further enhance Elordi’s height by filming him to appear even larger. In one particular scene, his head nearly touches the gymnasium ceiling.

Review: 'Oh, Canada' is director Paul Schrader's wobbly salute to guilt and suffering

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In simpler terms, the movie presents a character named Leonard Fife, who appears in a dreamlike state, much like if Jacob Elordi was part of his hallucination. The dream sequences are unsettling yet familiar, giving the film an eerie feel. However, when Uma Thurman plays dual roles or Leonard interacts with his former wife Alicia (Kristine Froseth), who seems overly perfect and childlike, the movie seems to stumble a bit. For instance, Alicia says, “We’ll be the perfect family,” which feels unnaturally bright. The wig worn by Thurman in these scenes is also noticeably poor quality, adding to the awkwardness of these sequences.

As a film enthusiast, I’ll give Schrader some leeway, assuming his dialogue is intentionally awkward. However, it can be grating at times, especially when it comes to the female characters – lines like Thurman’s five-word poem: “Test results. Cancer. What kind?” are a bit jarring. Sitting through such dialogues can be frustrating, and it becomes even more so when I start questioning the film’s reality – like, would young Leonard really order a bran muffin at an ice cream parlor? When the movie aims to tug at our heartstrings, these inconsistencies make it challenging to fully trust the narrative. There’s a peculiar scene where Malcolm, who appears old enough to have gray hair, finds Leonard’s claim that people once smoked on airplanes hard to believe. I can only guess that was illegal after Malcolm turned 22? But I found myself more convinced by Imperioli’s attempt at a Canadian accent – apologizing with: “Sorry ‘boot that.

It turns out that one of Leonard’s flaws is his arrogance, which includes belittling Malcolm and Diane as being like the famous documentary-makers Ken Burns from Canada. In response to their Oscar win, Diane murmurs defensively, “We won an Oscar.” The emotional damage Leonard inflicts on his family is appalling yet regrettably common, but the soft guitar music throughout seems to minimize it. Despite appearing as though he’s carrying a heavy cross due to his past, Leonard expects Emma to be shocked by it. She senses how difficult this filming session is for him, but she knows him better than he thinks. According to her, Leonard is merely admitting that he’s a coward who never truly loved anyone. With a casual shrug, she reveals this truth. The chasm between his guilt and her nonchalant reaction is bridged by his own torment; he’s so overwhelmed with shame that he doesn’t even ask for forgiveness. However, when Emma steps out of the room to check her phone, Leonard feels offended. He can’t stand the idea that she might forget him as he wants her to remember him.

Leonard draws similarities to aspects of Banks’ personal life, such as numerous marriages and youthful fantasies about escaping to Cuba. It’s hard not to observe that Gere’s rough hairstyle and silver-flecked neck beard give him a striking resemblance to Schrader as well. This becomes even more evident when Leonard ponders whether an image has the power to bestow immortality upon someone, as he looks back at his own films.

As a fervent admirer, it’s clear to me that Schrader undeniably holds the key to many mysteries. His cinematic masterpieces and thought-provoking scripts have deeply permeated our society, becoming integral parts of our everyday discussions, much like mortar in a well-built wall. You hardly find someone who hasn’t uttered the iconic line, “You talking to me?

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