They Who Surround Us

The plot for "They who surround us" is weak and the direction does not help much. The movie goes back and forth with past and present and does not develop from that. The script is shallow and we do not have a sense or feel of the pain the main character is going through. We see the images but not the feeling. Troy Ruptash is a good actor, but his direction falls short.

The could be an hour movie long.

A quite effecting study of a grief struck, but taciturn, man, and, we learn, loving father. The beauty of Alberta is stunningly portrayed, as are the horrors inflicted on Ukrainians during -- what I presume is, although it is interestingly kept somewhat ambiguous -- the recapture, by vengeful Soviet forces, of territory taken by the Nazis previously. I found, however, the apparitions, in present times, of lost love ones to be occasionally a bit jarring, breaking with what was otherwise the otherworldly, Malick-like, cinematography and excellent character development. That said, an impressive piece of work.

So, full disclosure here - I am the composer on this film, and in response to what appears to be an almost vengeful review below, which lacks both a nuanced understanding of the film and any sort of authority that would convey the writer knows what he is talking about - here is what the genius Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan had to say:

'A sensitive and complex study of grief, as it filters through a family and echoes in historic memory. Centred on a riveting performance by Troy Ruptash, who makes his directorial debut with this ambitious film.'

I think I'll trust Atom Egoyan's opinion on this, and the many many audience members across Canada who have written and expressed how deeply moved they have been by this film.

I watched this movie with some hope that it'd be worthwhile despite its rating only 6.1 on IMDb. I mean, it's from Canada right; home of Atom Egotan and Neve Campbell and Ryan Gosling and Bruce Greenwood. How bad could it be? The answer is: DEADLY.

Any comparison between Bergman and this boring load of tripe is simply laughable. Yes, Bergman's movies could be slow and depressing and, in some instances, one wondered where the movie was going, but they generally had something to sustain their running time and, most often rewarded those who were prepared to sit back and immerse themselves in what Ingmar desired to convey.

This movie was simply and terribly boring. It's NOT mesmerising. It's soporific. The ONLY aspect of its production which I found at all rewarding was the cinematography which was very lovely at times but which ultimately failed to satisfy when combined with the rest of the movie.

Acting - only fair. Direction - tedious and boring. Script - was there a script? Cinematograpy - nice at times. Enough said.

"They Who Surround Us" goes straight to my folder called "Watched but will never watch again".

Half hour in and there is no plot, no character dynamics, and dragged out scenes. When are Canadians going to stop producing crap films like this? If you are suffering from insomnia, this film is a sure cure.