The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

Two young First Nations women meet at an east Vancouver bus stop: Rosie (Violet Nelson) is pregnant, poor, and trying to get away from her common-law boyfriend who has beaten her; Aila (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, one of the film's writer-directors) lives independently and does not have the hardships that Rosie has. Aila does all she can to rescue Rosie from her situation.

Writer-directors Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn made a clever choice in filming most scenes in real time while occasionally keeping the camera focused on only one character for several minutes. The impact is strong while such choices often fail in other films.

Aila is a genuinely helpful person whose great intentions may not succeed. In real life, they rarely do. It doesn't help that Rosie does some shocking things that show great ingratitude to the generosity Aila gives her. Further credit to the filmmakers on this characterization: Rosie's victimization in life causes her to act in harmful ways toward others even those who want to help her.

The highlight of the film is a visit to a women's shelter in which two of the support staff (played by Charlie Hannah and Barbara Eve Harris) interview Rosie. The caretakers show an exemplary combination of compassion and intelligence. They avoid flinching when Rosie casually tells them details of her very difficult life situation. Instead, they respond with calmness and warmth as they continue to ask her questions. They are the kind of people any one of us would want be on our side during difficult times.

There is no doubt that real-life shelter workers are as remarkable as those portrayed in this film. One reason this scene is so exceptional is that women's shelters are rarely, if ever, settings in movies. Further to that, the movie stands out overall as it humanizes those whose hardships are often merely summarized statistically in newspaper headlines. And let's not forget: the cast is great. - dbamateurcritic