[viv]

Link to Career Page on main site.

[Karen K]

I will not vote on this one as I still need to form an opinion. As mentioned before Forcier was invited to visit with us and I truly wish I could have met him, but he had a conflict in a prior commitment. Roy had no idea he had been invited and was really surprised when he found out. Roy said "He was going to come here? I love that man. He is a different kind of person." So sorry, Viv, I didn't get to meet your "other" man.

As for the film, we saw the subtitled version. This is NOTHING like his other film with Roy (Les États-Unis d'Albert ) and Celine. I have to see his films a few times to understand them......the same is true with this one. I understand what happened I just didn't get why sometimes. As for Celine....her performance was excellent. Someone who had already seen the film mentioned to Roy what a bad mother Celine was in the film and he just smiled and laughed and said yes, she was a bad mother in that film, she can be bad. It was wonderful to see Roy's character and Nemisis together. Roy was not in the film that much but he looked so good. And his character was interesting.

I'm waiting until I can see this one again. Subtitled DVD, please!

[marcialouise]

I liked this film a lot more than the other André Forcier film I had seen (Les Etats Unis d'Albert). It was strange, as apparently all his films are, but it had an overall feeling of hope and survival, which I liked. I liked the period feeling of the film - the black and white format worked well for the 1949-59 time period. When a film is set in the past, I am very particular in noticing if they do an accurate portrayal or not. I feel they did a very good job in conveying this time period. Little details, like the hairstyles, makeup, and underclothes are very particular and if the filmmaker ignores these then you are not transported to that time. (many lazy flimmakers don't think about this - if the women are not wearing appropriate corsets or girdles, then their body shape is wrong for that period and they look too modern!) Roy's part may not have been large, but he played a pivotal role in the story and did an excellent job. First of all, I must mention that he looked wonderful and very naturally sexy (with his grey hair and beard and wearing his Aran sweater and duffel coat). I found the relationship between Liam and Nemésis very sweet and tender, like a father and daughter. Poor Nemésis had had such a barren and abusive childhood, and was so emotionally damaged that it was very satisfying to see her finally get to experience a safe and comforting relationship with an adult father-figure. Celine was excellent as the abusive mother (she played her character with layers, so that you could understand some of her self-destructive behaviour, but the child abuse was harder to understand.) All the supporting cast were excellent - some of the best Quebec actors (and, seeing as the whole budget was ~ one million dollars, you can be sure they were working for love of André Forcier, and not the money!) - all brought their characters to life with accurate skill - espceially, Remy Girard as the pompous priest (who represented some of the horrendous abuse perpetrated by the Catholic Church - and that is why Quebecois of that time hated the Catholic Church and soon thereafter turned away from the Church in droves), Gaston Lepage as Celine's father, Helene Bourgeois-LeClerc as the telephone operator (who played a pivotal role in the outcome of the story) and the young boy who loved Nemésis as a sister (I did not catch his name). So many of the Quebec child actors that I have seen are excellent - like British child actors -they must have really good teachers. (I haven't seen the same in English Canada, but then, there seem to be more good stories written for children in Quebec compared to the rest of Canada - I don't know why.)
I definitely recommend this movie as it shows the story of modern Quebec on a personal as well as a national level - how these events of the recent past affect the Quebec of today. With a title like "Je Me Souviens", I was expecting a film about the well-documented abuses of Quebecois by English Canada ( by gov't and business), but suprisingly, I think Forcier was trying to remind the Quebecois of the abuse of their own people by the Quebecois in power at that time (ie: the despicable premier of the province, Duplessis - played by Michel Barrett with "evil gusto"). Both the Gov't and the Church were in "bed together" in their plot to control the Quebecois people - to keep them ignorant and docile regarding the realities of how they were being oppressed. (yes, the English were behind the prejudice of treating Quebecois as 2nd class citizens of this country but, the Church and Duplessis collaborated with the English for their own profit - "sold their own countrymen down the river", so to speak). This was the time of the beginnings of Separatism (...and I can understand how some would react to the abuse of the English by saying "we need to be separate to save our culture"...) and a parallel story was that of the Irish Republicans fight against British Rule. The fact that Liam wanted to preserve and protect the Gaelic language can be seen reflected in the Quebecois who are so political about preserving the French language today. I will definitely buy a copy when this film is released on DVD.

[viv]

Thanks for the deep background, Marcia! Don't forget to vote!

the young boy who loved Nemésis as a sister (I did not catch his name)

The character is Louis Sincennes, presumably played by Renaud Pinet Forcier?

[Karen K]

Wow, Marcia, you certainly explained a lot to me! Now I am understanding it a lot better. Can't wait to see this one again.

[LILAINFL]

Can someone please interpret the words Je me souviens..I think I know what it means but I do want to be sure...Thanks

[gretchenohio]

Can someone please interpret the words Je me souviens..I think I know what it means but I do want to be sure...Thanks 

Viv will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think "Je me souviens" means "I remember."

It's also been the phrase or slogan at the bottom of Quebec license plates since 1978. You may remember a shot of a license plate (or tag, as it's also called) in Mémoires Affectives as the car pulled away -- a play on Alexander's amnesia. He didn't remember!

But the Quebecois people certainly do.

-- Gretchen

[LILAINFL]

Viv will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think "Je me souviens" means "I remember."

-- Gretchen

Gretchen, thank you soooooo much for the quick response. Living in Florida and seeing many Canadian license plates with the words Je me souviens, I always thought it meant "I will always remember"

I appreciate your help

[viv]

More in depth stuff.

[steiny]

So did the documentary with the same title, and the book which inspired it, have any influence on this story, or is it just by chance that this title was chosen for Forcier's film?
I see that racism is a theme as well as the tyrannical control of the Church, but those seem to be apparent in many French Canadian films.
Just wondering.

[viv]

I wouldn't have thought so. The themes seem quite different (antisemitism and pro-Nazi sympathies in Quebec during the 1930s through post World War II, as opposed to the political “Great Darkness”, trade unionism and religion in the '50s).

Remember, this film started out being called Némésis, and is an original work by Forcier and his partner, Linda Pinet. Forcier himself has stated that this is a period that's often forgotten.

If the motto means "We remember the past and its lessons, the past and its misfortunes, the past and its glories" then I suppose it's equally appropriate to a variety of periods and situations.

[steiny]

That was my thought as well, Viv, but wanted to have someone else's opinion on the subject.
Racism and backlash toward the RC Church are very strong themes in the French Canadian culture. Is it still tremendously prevalent in modern society, or has is become more tolerable...the feeling of second-class citizenship and abuse, I mean, and the resentment against it?

[marcialouise]

That was my thought as well, Viv, but wanted to have someone else's opinion on the subject.
Racism and backlash toward the RC Church are very strong themes in the French Canadian culture. Is it still tremendously prevalent in modern society, or has is become more tolerable...the feeling of second-class citizenship and abuse, I mean, and the resentment against it?

I think the wounds are healing, but it takes time. For example, the Separatist Party was quite powerful back in the 90's (when there was a referendum regarding separating from Canada - and the nay's won by only a slight margin - whew!) but these days I think most Quebecois are being realistic in politics and business. They now accept that the advantages of working with English-Canada outweigh the disadvantages. Far from feeling like "second-class citizens", the younger generation has a very strong pride and confidence in their society, which, at this point, no one could take away! As far as the Church goes, I think it has no influence at all in their lives anymore. There was a clean break during the sexual revolution in the 60's. I have read statistics that say Quebecois (compared to other Canadians) have the smallest percentage of affiliation with any religion and also, the majority do not marry, preferring to simply live together (like Roy and Celine).

[steiny]

Thanks, Marcia, I so very much enjoy your insightful comments on Canadian culture and history. I learn so much.

[marcialouise]

I just got the notice that Amazon.ca has sent my copy of "Je Me Souviens" today! I am counting the days now til it arrives and I can watch "Mon Beau Roy" again!