Tkaronto (2007) User Reviews (4)

Thoughtful, unsentimental and relevant

[muskratdove · 6/10 · 27 February 2011]

This movie was much more than I expected, and I became absorbed within minutes of turning it on. I could talk about its shortcomings and faults, but that would be missing the point. You know that a full length indie feature made on a minuscule budget of less than $20k and and an incredibly short filming and production time will not be sleek Hollywood fare.

While the plot focuses on an encounter between two strangers exploring their aboriginal roots in an urban setting, their search is ultimately a humanly portrayed exploration of a personal identity and spirituality and its subsequent expression in their daily lives and the choices they will make. We witness their growing intimacy in this shared exploration and we follow them beyond their genetic roots into some of the larger questions in their lives - and by extension, in our own lives. I don't want to recap the storyline here.

I felt the acting was quite good, liked the soundtrack too. With this kind of budget, I was expecting sound loops and honking sound effects or drab, moody atmospheric sound bites. It was scored, and sounded really good. While not a comedy, there was a general lightness to the film that balanced the weighter questions that the two protagonists ask each other and explore within themselves. There is an integrity to this story, and a lack of sentimentality that I found really refreshing. It made me laugh in remembrance of my own history, and it made me cry too. I loved watching the credits for it was clear that this movie was truly a labour of love. Almost everybody did almost everything, it seems. Mr. Belcourt, I'll watch your next movie too!

requires patience

[mbuchwald · 8/10 · 26 February 2010]

A interesting and different movie about being unsure of oneself, in particular being part-native in a white culture. Somewhat talky and slow but ultimately rewarding. This is a movie that asks the viewer to pay attention. The issues of identity that are discussed are universal, even if they are presented in the context of native cultures. The acting is very good, especially by Lorne Cardinal, most recently seen as the bumbling cop in "Corner Gas". The two principals are relatively unknown but I believe they will go far. They play the transient chemistry between them with finesse. Clearly a low budget film but worth seeing. Not for lovers of Hollywood movies.

Tkerrible

[Vorple314 · 3/10 · 17 March 2009]

This movie played like a college project. Needlessly long shots of people over-re-acting surrounded by time-filling shots of being in a sunny field. Many scenes of people whining for new-agey solutions to their self-absorbed mundane yuppy dramas. Whining, that is, unless they're raging against stereotypical straw men in the process of stereotyping. Most of the humor falls flat as a flounder dropped from the CN Tower. Would have been a better movie if it were completely a dialog between Max Cardinal and the Tarot Card Reader. Felt a bit bruised under the assault of constant button pushing. Here's hoping for better movies from this director.

Boring

[Blancodiablot · 26 October 2023]

It was slow and quite boring, I found it to be quite drawn out Low budget Some of the supporting actresses are literally over acting and it's so forced it was really hard to watch this because it just had so much potential & then a big let down. I always have a certain expectation going with films and this just didn't have it. I wanted to really like this film being independent and indigenous but it just didn't make me excited to watch anything else with these actors to be honest , snooze alert.

Maybe someone in the old age would like it but me being younger didn't find it really appealing or interesting and acting was subpar.