A strange dramatic thriller trying so hard to be a character study on loneliness, alienation and PTSD, "Canadian, Sniper"
offers a great solitary acting moment to François Arnaud (Xavier Dolan's boyfriend in "I Killed My Mother") as he silently wanders back home
in the wilderness of Canada, after many tours in Iraq as a dedicated sniper. He retreats to his father's farm (they barely speak to
each other, except for "Good coffee" or "Excellent coffee"), takes care of everything but deep down in the quietness of it all the sniper is too focused on potential attacks that'll never
happen as he's too conditioned with the military routine. Hunting animals or meeting with other hunters might look as risky things, but he's
trained to deal with dangerous scenarios, though a little rusty with his new acquired weapons.
There was a material to be worked here with its analysis on how certain skills and habits can affect a man's life, a man who feel the
need for action and killing, and he barely knows that the real problem is all inside his head, with his loneliness and his inability to form
a deep connection with another human being. The war made him insensitive, but thanks to the sheriff (Lothaire Bluteau), friend of his dad,
there's a sense of hope and different things.
Unfortunately, the film is not so good. It relies on long, silent sequences that go on forever,
at times with the camera being out of focus, and there isn't a real sense of tragedy or urgency as we follow the lonely sniper and try to
figure out what's really happening and what's just things from his head. The director tries to borrow some elements from "Taxi Driver" (the
bubbling alka seltzer shot inside the glass as it looking back at the main character was changed to a cup of tea; plus the alienation theme) and even "The Deer Hunter"
(the environment and snipers), but mostly is a festival of countless silent moments, few interesting dialogues, but not much of a higher
purpose to intrigue audiences, neither make them thrilled. Things come and go without reasoning or a further development (like his meeting with
the waitress, a schoolmate he didn't remembered) and it's easy to get frustrated or bored by the picture.
I enjoyed Arnaud's performance with all of the challenges given to him, as he isn't allowed to demonstrate emotions, must stay reserved
and cold, but slowly you'll get to see a different side of him, more caring and human. But it's clear to see that this accomplished sniper will
never find a good way to return to civilian life, it's too difficult for him to detach himself from his past, the things he saw during wartime and
what haunts him, or maybe a deep desire to be at war with whatever might come his way. And the tragedy is that the film never hits the right notes
to come up with a relevant thriller about that scenario and this particular character. 5/10.
