Trigger

Bruce McDonald's acerbic yet heartfelt film revolves around musicians, but the focus is on female friendship, with Molly Parker and Tracy Wright playing former band mates who reunite for a tribute event. Flashbacks and fantasy sequences reveal addictions to alcohol and heroin, and a fractious relationship that might have been more than platonic, although both women also express interest in men. Today, upwardly mobile Kat (Parker) works as a music advisor in Los Angeles, while sarcastic Vicky (Wright) has been toiling in Toronto on a solo project. As they eat dinner, attend shows, and catch up with old friends, feelings of jealousy and competitiveness alternate with affection and rapport. As the night winds down, the two reveal fears that they'll never love again and will die before their time. Parker and Wright play well off each other, and while neither of their characters is particularly likeable, both are engaging and vulnerable beneath their brittle exteriors, becoming more sympathetic towards the end. Sarah Polley, Don McKellar (Wright's partner), and producer Callum Keith Rennie all appear in welcome cameos. Wright, who gave her final performance here, died of pancreatic cancer after filming. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)