The Fall of the American Empire

I loved this story of a way over-educated nerd who's filled with Marxist claptrap making a conscious decision to steal bagfuls of cash. Typical of Arcand, the film is very talky, but in a dry and deadpan way that is quite amusing. It's a funny version of Dostoevsky by way of Godard and Woody Allen.

If are already tired of empty movies full of superheroes, sick people love stories, dysfunctional families then take a couple of hours and exercise your brain. Arcand most important weapon are dialogs; like Tarantino's but with very deeper meaning and without forcing styles. It is always necessary to have great actors to deliver most of the lines; and as always his team is perfect even when sometimes did not even look like professional actors. The story is basically a thriller (or a Polar since the movie is in French). A Philosophy witness a holdup and escape with two huge bags full of money. The police tries to nail him. Add to the equation an ex con expert in money laundering, a very expensive prostitute another money laundering expert (this one playing for the big leagues) and a bunch of cops that are perhaps worse than the criminals itself. Yes there a few criminals but they are mostly an accessory to the script. The important thing here is the social commentary. How consumerism has destroyed society and how society is getting every day colder. How government only interest is to get money to expend (and obviously to embezzlement ). Even when the movie plays more than a comedy; there are a couple of quite violent explicit scenes and a good created suspense . Some dialogs are worth remembering forever; some scenes are quite poetic and mood altering and the whole movie is an uplifting experience that let us think about our lives. There are some pace issues and the final two scenes feel unnecessary however is just a very small detail in an otherwise almost perfect movie

Funny, sarcastic and ... that's rare!... benevolent. To be seen only with the adorable accent of Quebec.

French-Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand won the Best Foreign Language Oscar for THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS (2003), and has gained a very loyal group of followers for his films. It should be noted that, despite the title, this is not a sequel or prequel to Arcand's 1986 film THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE. This one is a comedy-crime drama that is as cynical as it is witty, and perhaps as much social commentary as satire. It's yet another rip on capitalism while showing that idealism can work wonders (at least if it's well funded). "Intelligence is a handicap." That's what Pierre-Paul Daoust (played by Alexandre Landry) tells his girlfriend as he breaks up with her in a café. When she points out that he's a delivery driver (similar to UPS), Pierre-Paul riffs on a number of famous writers and philosophers who he claims were dumb as rocks. Her inquiry into Trump being elected President leads to his conclusion, "imbeciles worship cretins". He is the kind of guy that has an answer for everything, and possesses a type of oratory expertise that makes his excuses sound like scientific explanations.

One day while on his route, he stumbles into a robbery gone way wrong. Two thieves were in the process of stealing gang/mob money (and lots of it) when a shooting broke out. In the immediate aftermath, Pierre-Paul makes the snap decision to toss the two huge bags of cash into the back of his deliver truck and take off. This kicks off a chain of events that includes his crossing paths with Aspasie/Camille (Maripier Morin) a high dollar escort whose website features a quote from "Racine". Pierre-Paul is a Ph.D. in Philosophy, so he takes this as a sign.

Shortly after, Pierre-Paul is meeting with Sylvain "the brain" (Arcand regular Remy Girard), a recently released from prison biker who has become an expert on money laundering. The three form an odd partnership and are followed wherever they go by a couple of police detectives. Camille introduces Sylvain and Pierre-Paul to Mr. Taschereau (Pierre Curzi), her dapper former lover who also happens to be the foremost authority on international tax evasion and high finance.

The running joke here is that Pierre-Paul is an upright citizen who has never done anything remotely illegal in his life. In fact, he regularly doles out money to Quebec's homeless and those down on their luck. He also volunteers regularly at a shelter that feeds those in need. The obvious statement here is pointing out the great divide between the wealthy and the poor.

Arcand's film is close to being very good, but falls short in too many areas to reach the height it desires. There is a torture scene that seems totally out of place compared to the tone of the rest of the film, and I refuse to make the link to PRETTY WOMAN - another film where the rich guy wins over the good-hearted sex worker. This film talks about "providence" and just rewards that rarely happen. Is it acceptable to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? Does doing good correct a wrong? Heck, is it even wrong to steal from criminals? What the film actually does is serve up obvious targets with no real solutions offered. The self-congratulatory ending with close-up shots of Quebec's homeless doesn't help.

I went to watch this movie at the cinema sure that it was nothing special, but I hade to change my idea. The story of this weird and intelligent boy, who unexpectedly finds two bags full of money, is funny but also full of positive feelings and intents. The movie shows at the same time the worst and the best of our society, without forgetting a love story, friendship and charity. I think it is definitely a movie to watch.