Bon Cop, Bad Cop

I’m back in Montreal after a two week, self-imposed exile in London, Ontario. I think it would be pretty hard to find a city of comparable size with LESS to do than there is in my hometown. Mind you, it did host the LPGA Canadian Women’s Open last week, so I guess there’s some appeal. But for those of us who have no interest in golf, the town’s pretty dull. So once I got back to Montreal, I went out to catch a screening of Bon Cop, Bad Cop at the AMC Forum with Phil.

I had been to the Forum once before, but I guess I wasn’t really paying attention (amazing how often that happens, huh?) because it never even remotely occurred to me that I was standing on the hallowed ground of les Canadiens. It wasn’t until I saw the remaining block of old seating that the light bulb went on. Then Canadiena started jumping out everywhere… names of stores, the team logo, framed jerseys and memorabilia. Yep, Sherlock Holmes I am not.

So in retrospect, there was probably no better place for me to have seen this film. I’ll explain. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, because let’s face facts, it hasn’t gotten much press outside of Quebec (though admittedly more than the average Quebecois film), this is the first fully integrated, bilingual film in Canada’s cinematic history. The story follows the well-trodden path of Hollywood “buddy pictures” wherein two mismatched characters are forced to work together toward a common goal. In this case, it’s a Quebecois cop played by Patrick Huard and an Anglophone cop from Ontario, played by Colm Feore.

The average moviegoer in Canada will be hard-pressed to recognize either name, but I’m familiar with both their work. I can see why Feore was chosen. They would have had a rough time trying to cast that part had he refused. Mind you, that could have added a bit more hilarity to the mix. As it stands, I think they made the right choice. Huard, as co-writer of the screenplay, plays the Quebecois cop to the hilt. Considering he’s better known in Quebec as a stand-up comedian, he does an admirable job in the role.

The story is pretty straight forward: a serial killer has started systematically knocking off the powerbrokers in the professional hockey world that are responsible for selling off Canadian teams and players to the Americans. At first glance, it’s pretty cheesy, but I think that taking it at face value diminishes what Huard has come up with. The whole movie, from start to finish, pokes fun at Canadian stereotypes. When seen as a feature length farce/satire, one gains a greater appreciation for the whole production. There’s not a lot of subtlety there, but that’s the whole point. Part of the humour would be lost if no one caught the references.

The biggest question I have is whether the humour will translate outside the Montreal city limits. The language issue is one that, as Montréalais, we’re forced to confront on a daily basis, so we’re pre-conditioned to react to language-related situations. But what about audiences in Toronto? Will their complete obliviousness to the existence of the rest of Canada affect their senses of humour? Will the metro Toronto belief in the inherent inferiority of Canadian products (ranging from football to movies) transfer over in this case, as well? I guess we’ll find out in about a week since the Canadian release of the film is scheduled for the coming weekend, I believe.

I would be remiss in my commentary if I didn’t mention one more thing, in passing. I’ve cruised by some message boards to see the reaction of Francophones to the film and, though mainly positive, I did read remarks from those that believe the film is actually a Federalist vehicle, attacking the separatist movement by trying to demonstrate how people from the 2 main cultures in Canada can co-exist and work together. I think that’s pushing it a bit there. Movies should be a diversion—it’s an entertainment medium. Leave it at that. See the film for what it is: an enjoyable 2 hours. The only agenda this film has is to make a profit.

Here’s hoping that box office success will wake up the Canadian viewing public to the talent within our borders! Til next time…