Review of Let's All Hate Toronto (2007) by Ali S — 07 Aug 2009

I really liked the premise of this film. Having lived in Toronto and enjoyed my time there and grown up in a part of the country that hates Toronto and "Upper Canada" in general, I think I hold an interesting perspective on the issue.

At first, I was laughing along like a good little viewer as Mr. Toronto makes his way from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia to PEI and then to Quebec. To Quebec? What the eff happened to New Brunswick? Some cross-country tour! Maybe that was the point of skipping my province? So that I would hate Toronto? Well, it worked. Well, at least he seemed to skip most of the Prairies too.

Seriously though, at some point in the film, the premise just wasn't enough to keep my interest. I must confess to falling asleep for the very end. And I blame the movie for that.

So, in the end, familiar landmarks and relatable Canadianism can only take a filmmaker so far. In the end, it doesn't leave me pondering why Canadians hate Toronto. Rather it leaves me asking, "Why do Canadians suck so bad at documentaries?".