[3.5/4.0]
The narrative concept of humankind's reactions to its impending annihilation is not original. Numerous stories have been written that explore the compelling question of how people deal with a world that is ending. During the Cold War, this question was especially poignant because it was felt that such a scenario could actually play out. This made it a relevant question to explore at that time. Today the zeitgeist is more optimistic, and the idea has become more abstract, but no less compelling.
The story immediately posits that the end of the world will occur at midnight of that day, and it follows several different characters in their various methods of coping with the tumult. It is implied that the destruction cannot be avoided. As would be expected, there are a multitude of ways in which people deal with the issue of impending destruction. On the lowest level, there will be those who see no recourse for their action, so they indulge in nihilistic destruction. This is the least interesting dimension of human reaction, because it is simply pandering to the basest elements. None of the main characters take this approach.
The story is a composite of many characters and subplots, but the primary character is apparently Patrick Wheeler (Don McKellar), a young man not unfamiliar with loss. He indulges his parents by attending a dinner with his family that is played as a holiday reunion. It is a pathetic attempt to reawaken the warm memories of the past, and Patrick is barely able to conceal his cynicism. The approach of his parents is a melancholy resignation to their demise, which perhaps is to be expected of those already in the later years of their lives.
One subplot follows Craig (Callum Keith Rennie), a friend of Patrick's whose final desire is to complete his collection. Another of Patrick's acquaintances fulfills his life-long desire to perform his music publicly. The president of the gas company takes it upon himself to call each of his customers personally and thank them for their patronage. This provides a common thread as his calls touch each of the characters presented. Another subplot follows Sandra (Sandra Oh), a young woman who has decided along with her husband that they will kill each other at the final moment rather than passively allow themselves to be taken.
The setup used in this story is often the kernel for a science fiction or action narrative, by having the characters devise a plan for saving themselves. This approach is dismissed by not even entertaining the possibility that destruction can be avoided. The primary concern of the film is its characters. It examines how each individual reacts differently, and how the composite describes the human condition. The feel of the film is like that of a scientific experiment where normal characters have a disruptive influence injected into their existence, and the viewers are observing their reactions in order to understand them at a deeper level.
Highly recommended. The film clearly sets out to examine the specific elements of its premise that deal with introspective human drama. Although there may have been opportunities to explore many aspects of the given scenario, the film limits itself to those dimensions that are the most compelling
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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