Tar Angel (2001):Dir: Denis Chouinard / Cast: Zenedine Soualem, Catherine Trudeau, Rabah Ait Ouyahia, Hiam Abbass, Kenza Abiabdillah: Interesting examination regarding struggles from one culture to another. The title refers too a father who paves for a living and his son who is not the angel he brought him up to be. A family fled from Algeria and are about to obtain Canadian citizenship. Ahmed Kasmi learns that his son joined a group of militants and they broke into an immigration office and deleted information. The act was caught on security cameras and Kasmi hunts for his son on the streets of Montreal where he meets his son's ex-girlfriend. Interesting concept is quite detailed but the ending is a disappointment. Directed by Denis Chouinard who previously made Clandestins, which is also about immigrants fleeing from one place to another. Excellent performances from a superb foreign cast who pull out all the stops for flawless emotions that can rival their Hollywood counterparts. We can feel the desperation of a father out to locate his son and prevent further harm, and a mother who can do no more than await answers. We can relate to the rebellious nature of the son, and the girlfriend who cares enough to pull away. It states that a parent can only do so much but we cannot prevent disappointment nor dictate whether their choices will reflect ours. Score: 9 / 10
Review of L'ange de goudron
