White Lies

The beginning of the film 'White Lies' was surprising to me, because you don't often watch North-American films with political racism as the theme. The psychology of the shy main character was described well, the rhythm of the film was good, and original with a sound-track that seemed to come from a 1970's film.

But, then, the second half was disappointing, as the film came into the domain of "Hollywood Nazism" and, like some others comments said, cartoon characters. The sentimental and pathetic ending of the film doesn't do much good to it.

A study on how intellectual people, e.g. at college and university, can be attracted by extreme-right ideology, as it was at the beginning of the film, could have been more interesting

Have watched this several times on cable, had never heard of it and was pleasantly surprised. Sarah Polley is a very good and appealing actor and her character in this movie is fascinating. The movie is shocking at first by attacking the closed mindedness of the liberal orthodoxy of thought at universities today and the oppurtunists that use charges of racism to squelch dissent. Catherine Chapman thinks and says many things early in the movie that many people think secretly but are afraid to say for being branded, this is highly unusual for any film these days to face reality head on like this.

Unfortunately, this courage dwindles at the end and the producers of the movie play to the grandstand like all mainstream movies do and create cartoonish, reprehensible, easy to hate skinhead nazis as bad guys and Catherine repents. How disappointing, I wish the movie had continued to explore the gray areas of racial politics, where what is 'right' is not so clear as when nazis are involved, but rather there are intelligent people who have a legitimate argument against an entrenched political correctness and have a right to be heard without fear of being treated like pariahs by the establishment.

It's very usual to get involved in any kind of movements attracted by friends, money or anything else. Specially in our youth period of life, this things are very common. I am young so I know how this things are. That's why I understood this movie in my reality. & I liked it. Not because I am a neo nazi or something like that, but I felt it very close about young movements & stuff. The movie was pretty good. I didn't realized it was a Canadian production, so I guess this is my first Canadian movie saw. & the impression was such cool. But there are a few things I can't get in this movie. Is the old lady of NIM senile or maybe crazy? Celebrating Christmas in a Nazi way? Come on...

This film sets up with similar promise (and similar premise) to that of the far superior AMERICAN HISTORY X. It, sadly, falls well short of realizing that potential. It is well shot and extremely well acted, but lacks any sort of moral commitment or center. After watching the film, I was left to ponder whether or not director Kari Skogland felt that the Neo-Nazi movement- specifically this group, called N.I.M., the National Identity Movement- was a negative force in Canadian society or a misunderstood faction under siege by evil and violent "Anti-Racists."

The only compelling- I should say the only likeable- characters were Nazis; the super-intelligent and sympathetic main character Catherine Chapman, starring brilliant young actor Sarah Polley, the Grandmotherly Mrs. "K," lovingly portrayed by the reliable Lynn Redgrave, committed and affable Erina Baxter, played convincingly by Tanya Allen and charismatic Rex Brennan, brought to life by Joseph Kell.

The other side, the aforementioned "Anti-Racists," are either self-serving demagogues or faceless automatons chanting, picketing and committing acts of violence against N.I.M. and its members. At one point, they even fire bomb N.I.M. headquarters, badly burning a N.I.M. footsoldier. The head Anti-Racist is the ambitious and sleazy Alan Greene (played by Albert Schultz), who has many run-ins with the N.I.M. poster-girl Catherine Chapman (Code Name "Hot Head") throughout the film. He never comes off as either noble or trustworthy in the film and ultimately manipulates Catherine for his own gain.

I'm certain the film was intended to be a study of how easily disaffected youth can be caught up in the rising tide of this type of hate group. This mark is missed, however, and the main character begins and ends the film sounding like a victim of anti-White, anti-Christian hatred. Not nearly enough set-up is dedicated to Catherine's feelings of despair and lack of connectivity. Only an essay entitled "Christmas Is Dead," which she wrote and narrates at the onset of the film, gives us even a glimpse. The essay, by the way, reeks of Right-Wing propaganda and is delivered in voiceover narrative as the film's set-up. Some things are briefly hinted at, like her inability to secure a part time job because she doesn't speak Cantonese, but nothing is ever explored and the film deteriorates into predictable plotlines and plot devices- she's even murdered by her Nazi ex-boyfriend in what (surprise!) turns out to be a dream. There's also the subplot of her pregnancy to that same Nazi ex-boyfriend, which evaporates in an instant before our eyes without ever having so much as a shred of impact on the story.

There are a lot of great Canadian films- and a lot of great films dealing with the issue of hate groups- being made. This one doesn't fit either category.

I give this a 6, only because the movie is worth watching as entertainment (5 points) and an extra point because it is BASED on actual events and people in the neo nazi and far-right movement in Canada.

I don't really understand the other viewer thought American History X is so much more realistic or powerful; in my opinion it is not. It only has better acting and more violence.

The acting is not horrible in "White Lies", but about what you would expect from a made for TV Canadian film.

The organization "NIM" can be roughly compared to the real life group "Heritage Front" and events that happened mostly in Toronto in the early 1990s.

The anti-racists are not well represented in the film, which is usual for any neo nazi film, and the neo Nazis are portrayed as supermen who always win fights, or else it takes ten or twenty of their enemies to beat them.

Everything from the young women defecting in the end, arson, fights after concerts and suicide is based on actual events that happened in Ontario, Canada.

I won't get in to more details as to not spoil it, but this movie is a must see for anyone interested in anti-racist studies and the cultural impact of actual far-right movements in North America.