Some mysteries just never get solved. What's the deal with that caged tiger rolling in snow on the rural fringes of Quebec? Why is there a pile of frozen human corpses in a wooded area just off the main highway? How come the mother of 12-year-old Julyvonne (Philomène Bilodeau) is incarcerated, and why is the girl's father, Jean-Francois (Emmanuel Bilodeau, real-life dad of Philomène) intent on keeping Julyvonne all but locked away from the rest of the world? Director Denis Côté doesn't supply clear answers to these questions, but he's not a fanciful storyteller either. Rather, his stoic, atonal way of moving Curling along without every narrative touchstone squarely in place makes for oddly compelling viewing. What is apparent here is that taciturn and socially isolated Jean-Francois is raising Julyvonne as if she were a puppy: kept at home, with no schooling, no peers for friends, and no real chance of anyone having any influence on her. Meanwhile, Jean-Francois holds down two jobs, one in a bowling alley and the other as a cleaner in a motel. Life goes on, day to day, but random events will collide with this carefully controlled bubble-existence. A highly-disciplined, unsettling, yet also mesmerizing film, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)
Curling
Big World, 92 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.95, Apr. 14 Volume 30, Issue 2
Curling
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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