We're all shaped by the interesting and/or strange places that we come from. But there's something off about the Canadians, especially those from Winnipeg. Maybe it's because of the bitter cold, the fact it means "Muddy Waters", maybe because half the city seceded in 1993.

In Guy Maddin's recent docu-fantasy, My Winnipeg, the viewer is treated to sundry details on the Winnipeg of the past. Part mystical rumination, part childhood history, this is perhaps the best farewell kiss turned film ever made. It's easy to share in the tribulations of the loss of the hockey rink and the missteps of the local government and business community. While fascinating, you have to wonder how much of the film is wild exaggeration and what might be oddly true. This is one of those hypnotic movies you get caught up in, then it's over and you leave the theater like a sleepwalker, pondering your own ghosts.

Posted by JBro at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)