Curling – Geheimnisse im Schnee (2010)

Curling – Geheimnisse im Schnee: Directed by Denis Côté. With Emmanuel Bilodeau, Philomène Bilodeau, Roc Lafortune, Sophie Desmarais. On the fringe of society in a remote part of the French-Canadian countryside, the fragile relationship and unusual private life of a father and daughter is jeopardized by dreary, unforeseen circumstances.

“This is a story about a not-so-interesting father and his daughter, who has been shielded from external influences for 12 years. It goes as far as not even having attended any school. The film opens with that remarkable conclusion by an optometrist, who is asking questions why she comes so late with her eye problems, because she should have had problems long before with the blackboard during classes. From that moment on, this peculiar situation (for us) enfolds step by step.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe situation in and around the house is portrayed in a number of short scenes, where indeed (as they say) pictures tell more than 1,000 words. I very much admire that part of this film. The same recipe is followed when showing where the father works, and the barely existing relationships with his colleagues. We are showed around in 50 minutes, while we all are wondering what is going to happen. A lot of extra tension is particularly created when the daughter finds a pile of dead bodies in the woods.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHowever, the story reaches a dead point after the first (promising) hour. I did not see it heading anywhere, and I see no moral nor a conclusion either. We see no real progress in the contacts with his colleagues. And neighbors are kept at a safe distance (at best) or chased away (often). And what may be the purpose of the father leaving his house and wandering around, without showing any concern how his daughter will cope alone in the house.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI wonder about all these open ends. Maybe I expected too much after having read the intriguing synopsis? I think that the given plot could be turned much more in our advantage. All the binding elements were there, only to be picked up and mixed in order to create a compelling film.”