Guitar Lessons

I don't watch movies often, as I find that there are very few releases that are thoughtful and relevant enough to warrant my time. Earlier this year, when I heard that a movie was being filmed in the very area/towns in which I grew up, I was intrigued and put it on my "must watch" list.

This film did not disappoint. It is not only quirky and funny, but truly heartwarming, and really, honestly, *stunning*. The storyline of Guitar Lessons weaves a tapestry of several characters working through their personal demons. A wonderful movie that breaks barriers of age, race, language and socioeconomic status, putting us all on a level field. It speaks to the fact that we are all interconnected and have something we can learn from oneanother. One very moving scene in the film imparts a lesson that facing our pain head on is where the healing begins.

The cinematography in this movie is stunning, nuanced and truly showcases the raw beauty that is Northern Alberta. It also accurately depicts and juxtaposes the harsh reality of poverty in some rural communities with the joy and humour that can still be found within the roughness of life. Having lived in this area, I can attest to the accuracy of the portrayals.

Overall, what I love most about the film is that it is real; it is raw; it is uniquely "us." In a world full of hurt, we don't need more fancy, more fake, or more fluff. We need stories like these to bring us home; home to what really matters.

Watched this movie last night in Leduc Cinema and thoroughly enjoyed the story line, the beautiful cinematography highlighting Northern Alberta, the humour and most of all the relationship that developed organically between the man and teen. An uplifting theme of redemption and connection and of second chances in life and love. The sound track was well selected and hopefully is available soon as well. Highly recommend seeing this if you like movies that make you feel hopeful. As it's being distributed independently, have your local cinema owner call the director, Aaron Sorensen directly to arrange to have it come to your town/city. 403 464 7586. I'm looking forward to watching it again!

There is a lot of content packed into 90 minutes and we were so into it that the time flew by and we didn't want it to end. Loved the humor and really enjoyed the message in the scenes where Bruiser is helping Ray see that he is the one to help Leland and where he is imparting wisdom to his nephew. Well done Aaron James and crew.

Having grown up in the Peace region I was happy to see all the gorgeous scenery and the shots of actual businesses. The differences between Leland and Ray's socioeconomic positions were quite accurate from my experience and I like that this movie showcases that as well as the message that humans are all flawed and needed other humans to help them no matter how much money they have.

This gem of a Canadian movie is so powerful and beautiful. It's slower pace reminds me of Harrison Ford's "Witness" where we too have to slow down from our frenetic pace of life. We are lulled into the plot with stellar performances and excellent humor that pokes fun at all kinds of stereotypes. I especially laughed and resonated with the woke white woman swooning at the Cree speaker in the diner scene. But the movie's real power is how it deftly reveals the deep pain of each character with simple words and gentle scenes. The pain of being human and struggling to deal with other humans, the pain of understanding our own struggles, the pain of lost dreams and lost opportunities. As in real life, there are no simple answers served up on a plate, solved by magic cloaks or marvelous technology, but it still offers hope and insight to the human condition and how we can strive to be more gentle with ourselves and each other. I recognized myself and my neighbors in this careful character study. Well done!

Let me say right off, the movie wasn't bad. But when I see all the 9 and 10 star reviews, I get suspicious. Then I look who did the reviews and I find that almost all of them are from people who have only reviewed exactly one movie. Could they possibly be friends and family of the actors or the film crew? Ya think?

Anyway, the film is rated on IMDb as a 7.3. Heck, "Gone with the Wind" and "Lawrence of Arabia" only got an 8.3! Come on folks!

So the movie wasn't bad. Unfortunately, it had a hard time figuring out just what it wanted to be. There were about three different stories going on at the same time. And none of them really got resolved in the end. It seemed to get lost.

The acting and the writing weren't half bad. Except the lead actor, Corb Lund spent about 2/3rds of the movie staring at the ground with his hand over his eyes. Overall, it was an okay film. It seemed a bit long to me. They could have easily cut 20 minutes or so out of it.

--MovieJunkieMark.