Richard and I have seen every film that Calgary Director Gary Burns has brought to TIFF. Radiant City is a documentary about suburbia shot mostly in Calgary. My friends in Winnipeg know the co-director Jim Brown who works for CBC. The treeless developments with an endless maze of cul de sacs and 2 car families hit home. But despite their large lots and 2 car garages, many of these people are no further away from their neighbours than me.
That's not my main problem with this movie. The repartee, particularly by the eloquent 12 year old, is engaging as are the interesting suburbatrivia. As the story starts to escalate to a wierdly tragic end, the directors shoot through their documentary status and reveal that they used hired actors who were not a real family and that most of the film was scripted. HOW CAN THIS LEGITIMATELY BE PART OF REAL TO REEL??? Aren't there rules? How can they do this and build us up for a fall? Yeah, maybe the suburbs are evil but the do-cirectors are evil for misrepresenting their project. For fraud and being about 25 minutes too long, MMm (better than Guy Maddin but not by much. Canadian filmmakers what's happening to you???)
grim suburbia
Radiant City it's not
neither is this film
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