Whitewash

Director Emanuel Hoss-Demaris & writer Marc Tulin have only made two films: both of which are unexceptional but quirky. Prior to 2018 dramedy "Birthmarked" they co-wrote 2013 Canadian small-town crime-drama "Whitewash" in which Thomas Haden Church (solid) hits & kills Marc Labrèche with his little snow-plow, hides the body, then careers off into the surrounding woods where he's trapped / hides out. The men's brief history is revealed via flashbacks, as Haden Church it seems goes rather mad - but those expecting a clear cut conclusion will be disappointed. Hoss-Demaris & Tulin are an off-centre duo indeed... what might they produce next?

A Canadian drama; A story set in snowy rural Quebec about a man who makes himself prisoner following a tragic accident. The main theme of this tale is that a good deed that turns bad does not go unpunished. It's well acted, with Haden Church bringing some humour and an impressive monologue to what is a tragic development for his character. It's a slender film, but it does have some impact as a crime and punishment tale.

Since his first entry into the realm of Oscar-lovers and voters, Thomas Haden Church seemed like a one-trick pony. His newest effort in Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais' film Whitewash has the actor delivering his finest work yet. Telling the story of Bruce, a man heavy on the bottle, who after he hits a man with his bulldozer during a snowstorm, ventures out into the cold Canadian woods to hide for survival.

As the narrative travels in and out of present and past time, writers Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais and Marc Tulin manage to keep the subdued aura of the film while still keeping it interesting and inventive. Many choices in storytelling and shooting will remind many of the underrated film from Joe Carnahan, The Grey (2012), but the characters here felt much more accessible, both in flaws and pros. The dreary and intimate portrait captured by Cinematographer André Turpin is what encourages the film to go to another place cinematically. His choices along with Hoss- Desmarais' direction keep the story and the audience close and working together to get to our resolution.

Thomas Haden Church really manages to outdo himself as an actor and for the first time, becomes something bigger than he probably though of himself to be. In a tale of survival, in both the physical and criminal sense, Church lays out of an agenda that is both demanding of himself and philosophically sound. He walks the line of composure and is absolutely hypnotic. His performance is both poetic and visceral and becomes the first authentically genuine and raw male performance of the film year. He has never been better. What Whitewash also manages is an introduction to actor Marc Labrèche, who is simply fantastic in his role of Paul, a mysterious figure that will bring you on an emotional roller coaster to his defying finale.

The film is surely a risky endeavor and while the film utilizes the audience's imagination and requirement to let certain laws of physics go, the bridge from the film to the resounding mind of film-lovers is clearly passionate and aptly brutal. It's vividly melancholic in execution and could be one of the best films of the year. Small yet larger than itself, Whitewash is a tranquil message of survival and redemption.

Thomas Haden Church has made some decent films. This one falls short. The script and performances are decent, but the pace is slow. The story is played out flashback style and has some good moments, but never gains momentum. It centers on Church hiding out in the wintery woods, and spending a lot of time wandering around. The end resolves nothing. It's worth a watch, but is nothing special.

I had the pleasure of seeing Whitewash at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival or KVIFF for short. I went to see this film while knowing nothing about it because that is sometimes the way you see films at KVIFF. You buy a ticket and go see a film that you know nothing about. I strongly recommend going into a movie which you know nothing about because that way you can enjoy it much more.

A snow plow operator accidentally runs over with his mini-plow a man walking on the street during a blizzard. That's all you need to know about this film's plot. What ensues after this accident is a the perfect blend of drama and black comedy. Surprisingly Thomas Haden Church's Bruce spends most of the movie hiding in his snow plow and trying to figure out what to do next.

Thomas Hadden Church gives here the best performance of his life. Very minimalistic though but very gripping and funny. The film shows how physically demanding Bruce's survival is. (The story is set in Quebec, so the winter there is very harsh) Thomas Haden Church portrays a man who is unwilling to die even though he is doubting if living is worth the struggle. But all this can be told with a lot of humor, even if the situation wouldn't be funny in real life.

After the screening there was a short Q&A session with the director Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais. He said that although the winter looks very harsh, during the time of the shoot the winter was very wimpy so they had to help themselves with a few special effects. After the Q&A session ended I went up to the director and asked him for an autograph and asked him if the Coen brothers was an influence on this film. The answer was: Of course! The guy seemed like a very sympathetic fellow and I look forward to seeing more of his work.