The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

The Worst Film Ever

Sick Product of a Sick System

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I give 10/10 only to films I cannot get out of my head, and Denys Arcand's « Les Invasions Barbares » is one of them. I watched it shortly after its release in 2003, and I have periodically watched it again until now (2018) : This movie is timeless and can be watched over and over, like a play by Shakespeare. Arcand's previous « Le déclin de l'Empire Américain » is an immensely enjoyable film, but much more linked to a specific period - circa the 1970s and '80s - and to a specific close-knit group of adult intellectual baby-boomers living through an unrestrained exploration of sex encounters, an exploration inextricably enmeshed with wanton destruction of families and - for some of the group - with a quest for love, explicit or not. « Les Invasions Barbares » has a theme in continuity with « Le déclin », but what makes this film "intemporel" is that each character is led to take stock of his or her life by the spectacle of a man (Rémy) they love, or come to love, dying right before their eyes. The viewer instinctively knows that for a number of these characters, notably the younger including this man's son, his son's companion, his daughter, and most radically his junkie caretaker, their life will be changed ever after. A meditation on what a meaningful life is, on the irrepressible need to leave one's mark in this world, on where societies go when religion recedes, on what love means for the sons and daughters of divorced parents, on seeing an entire generation ditch their joyful idealistic errors only to watch them replaced by the no-nonsense materialistic errors of a new generation, this film « Les Invasions Barbares » reminds one of the beautiful song « On vit les uns avec les autres » by French-Canadian Fabienne Thibeault : even when surrounded by friends and siblings we are always alone, facing our Creator at the time of our death - or, which is infinitely more terrifying, facing emptiness. The middle film of Denys Arcand's trilogy, « Jésus de Montréal », has not worked on me the same magic, maybe because my religious beliefs have made me uneasy with Arcand's transgression. The synopsis is simple : if Jesus came onto this Earth today, he would be put into a mental institution and sedated to the rest of his days ! A bit too much for me, even though I understand it to be a denunciation by Arcand of the materialistic "pensée unique" of our times. Arcand has depth, creativity and talent. His trilogy is a unique combination of films that make one think. Thank you Denys !

The Barbarian Invasions (2003): Dir: Denys Arcand / Cast: Remy Girard, Stephane Rousseau, Dorothee Berryman, Marie-Josee Croze, Louise Portal: Very funny and often touching French Canadian film about change, attitude and eternity. It stars Stephane Rousseau as a London Investment banker whose father, played by Remy Girard is seriously ill. Accompanied by his fiancé he flies to Canada to confront the father he would never relate too. Similar to Big Fish and The Event in its inclusion of family and friends when life comes to a close. Similar to Marvin's Room and One True Thing in its disregard for eternity after death. Very well written with hilarious dialogue throughout but conclusion brings cause for disagreement. Directed by Denys Arcand as a sequel to his The Decline of the American Empire, and thankfully avoids duplicating that film's cleverness and instead measures its own unique spin as a sequel. Girard is hilarious reflecting on his lust for women while Rousseau plays off the frustration of his son. Dorothee Berryman plays his divorced mother. Marie-Josee Croze steals scenes as a drug addict who supplies heroine to kill the pain in Girard. Well crafted Canadian cinema that still continues to clever storytelling of the first film as well as the hilarious moments. It is a detailed film about living and sharing life before it ultimately conclusion. Score: 8 / 10

Writer/Director Denys Arcand gives us a film that dispels the myth that we will all die a happy death. Remy's son Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) lives in London and doesn't have anything to do with his father, who rejects him because of his capitalist ways, but he comes in and gets things done for his father. The Canadian hospital and the unions are not presented in a good light. Sebastian has to grease palms with money everywhere he turns. He also calls his father's old friends and associates to get them to visit. It really gets funny when he naively goes to the police to find a source for heroin as the morphine is no longer working to alleviate his father's pain. It is not only the Canadian health care system that is pilloried, but the Catholic Church, and the imperialism of many nations. It is truly a thinking person's film. There are so many great lines throughout and some great thoughts on life and death. While Nathalie (Marie-Josée Croze) helped him ease into death, his friends relieved their youth around him. He lived his life on his own terms, and he went out that way. I want more Denys Arcand.

A life of wine, women, and, no, not song, but left-wing causes, has left Remy (Remy Girard) pretty much alone and dying from cancer.Writer/Director Denys Arcand gives us a film that dispels the myth that we will all die a happy death.Remy's son Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) lives in London and doesn't have anything to do with his father, who rejects him because of his capitalist ways, but he comes in and gets things done for his father. The Canadian hospital and the unions are not presented in a good light. Sebastian has to grease palms with money everywhere he turns. He also calls his father's old friends and associates to get them to visit. It really gets funny when he naively goes to the police to find a source for heroin as the morphine is no longer working to alleviate his father's pain.It is not only the Canadian health care system that is pilloried, but the Catholic Church, and the imperialism of many nations. It is truly a thinking person's film. There are so many great lines throughout and some great thoughts on life and death.While Nathalie (Marie-Josée Croze) helped him ease into death, his friends relieved their youth around him.He lived his life on his own terms, and he went out that way.I want more Denys Arcand.