Life is bleak in Lafleur’s Quebec. Maryse (Fanny Mallette) enters a state of malaise after a man’s arm is cut off accidentally at the factory where she works; the first of three “accidents” punctuating the film. Maryse’s brother, Benoit (Francis La Haye) can’t get his act together and lives at home with their widowed father. A man who says he’s from the future (“next September”) approaches Benoit and warns him of a horrible fate that will befall Maryse. Benoit attempts to protect her, accompanying her on a trip to their family’s cabin. The premise sounds goofy, but it works, keeping away from the surreal and exploring a relationship between siblings and, in turn, their relationship with their surroundings. Lafleur finds charm beneath the grey skies, heaps of snow and mundane suburban life.
This article appears in Nov 10-16, 2011.
