I have read the posted comments on the website and I found they are all from Canada. It goes to show that many interesting films are never outside the country of their origin. I came across "Un zoo la nuit" in the suspense section of a local video store and it appeared to haven't been rented in some time. The cover was beyond deceptive because I saw a woman on it who was screaming and the title "NIGHT ZOO" in bold red caps. I usually take a chance on watching many different movies and this is one I do recommend on some level and here are my reasons (spoilers herein).
(1) Gilles Maheu and Roger Lebel portrayed the father and son in probably the most realistic father-and-son relationship that I have ever played out on screen. It was shockingly deep considering the negative events surrounding it. (2) Marcel's (played by Gilles Maheu) interaction's with his ex-girlfriend Julie were plotted and written correctly. I think if that angle had been explored more, it would have stolen very much from the film. (3) When it comes to being realistic, I think this film shatters the good guy-bad guy stereotypes and how they interact. Marcel is threatened by a rather unsavory pair of cops and one of them cuts him in the face with a switchblade and beats Marcel with a garbage can when Marcel tries to retaliate. No special effects or explosives needed there. (4) I liked the mixture of English and French speech used in the dialogue. The dialogue wasn't hokey or forced at all. (5) My favorite scene was the shoot-out between Marcel, his friend from prison, and the two cops. It wasn't a typical action sequence at all. (6) There a small scattering of humor throughout the film so it didn't seem so utterly hopeless. (7) The feel of the film to me dealt mostly with loss and I felt the cinematography and musical score backed that aspect rather well. (8) This was a rather stunning debut from Jean-Claude Lauzon. His writing and direction were (considering the times) definitely out there talentwise and I think that is grounds to for award consideration. He took home two of his own Genie awards for both writing and direction. Eight reasons give this film a score of eight.
What robs this film of a perfect score is the gross nature of some scenes. I nearly wanted to gag when Marcel was raped at the beginning. I guess the material was needed to show how negative this film actually is. There is no shortage of misery and I call viewers to beware this film if they don't have a strong stomach. The other reason was the zoo scene where the elephant was shot. I actually thought that elephant had been killed inside of its cage. I am not anti-hunting but I don't believe shooting a caged animal is right unless it needs to be euthanized. If you are an animal lover, shut your eyes when you get to that scene.
Overall, I found "Un zoo la nuit" to be a rather watchable film. It is perfect for a movie fiend looking for something completely different. Despite a few nasty and misery-laden scenes, it is perfect for anytime viewing. Here ends my rant!
(1) Gilles Maheu and Roger Lebel portrayed the father and son in probably the most realistic father-and-son relationship that I have ever played out on screen. It was shockingly deep considering the negative events surrounding it. (2) Marcel's (played by Gilles Maheu) interaction's with his ex-girlfriend Julie were plotted and written correctly. I think if that angle had been explored more, it would have stolen very much from the film. (3) When it comes to being realistic, I think this film shatters the good guy-bad guy stereotypes and how they interact. Marcel is threatened by a rather unsavory pair of cops and one of them cuts him in the face with a switchblade and beats Marcel with a garbage can when Marcel tries to retaliate. No special effects or explosives needed there. (4) I liked the mixture of English and French speech used in the dialogue. The dialogue wasn't hokey or forced at all. (5) My favorite scene was the shoot-out between Marcel, his friend from prison, and the two cops. It wasn't a typical action sequence at all. (6) There a small scattering of humor throughout the film so it didn't seem so utterly hopeless. (7) The feel of the film to me dealt mostly with loss and I felt the cinematography and musical score backed that aspect rather well. (8) This was a rather stunning debut from Jean-Claude Lauzon. His writing and direction were (considering the times) definitely out there talentwise and I think that is grounds to for award consideration. He took home two of his own Genie awards for both writing and direction. Eight reasons give this film a score of eight.
What robs this film of a perfect score is the gross nature of some scenes. I nearly wanted to gag when Marcel was raped at the beginning. I guess the material was needed to show how negative this film actually is. There is no shortage of misery and I call viewers to beware this film if they don't have a strong stomach. The other reason was the zoo scene where the elephant was shot. I actually thought that elephant had been killed inside of its cage. I am not anti-hunting but I don't believe shooting a caged animal is right unless it needs to be euthanized. If you are an animal lover, shut your eyes when you get to that scene.
Overall, I found "Un zoo la nuit" to be a rather watchable film. It is perfect for a movie fiend looking for something completely different. Despite a few nasty and misery-laden scenes, it is perfect for anytime viewing. Here ends my rant!