Review of One Week (2008) by Ngok L — 09 May 2010

I was reluctant to watch this movie. From the trailers, it seemed like an attempt to be an American road trip movie, and I just would not stand for that, not being Canadian and knowing this was a Canadian movie. I was not disappointed, however, as this film was actually a Canadian interpretation (or, hell, what I perceived to be a Canadian interpretation) or the American road trip movie. 'One Week' offers a deconstruction of the road trip: a self-referential, heartwarming-but-bittersweet road trip. The narration is wonderful and the acting is solid. My biggest complaint is the editing, which would upset any Canadian, because any Canadian (okay, any Canadian who has done some driving) knows that the route Josh Jackson's character takes is shown out of order. Sionce this movie is supposed to be as much about Canada (if not more so, in certain scenes), it's hilarious to think that they would show Northern Ontario as stock footage for the prairies. Good thing J-Jack learned how to act. I don't know how this movie would have been tolerated.

One final complaint: that penultimate scene was crap. Sentimental bullshit, really. Cut it and keep the finale. That part was good :).