That Beautiful Somewhere (2007)

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I'm still giving it an above average score because the two lead actors were watchable (if not always comprehensible) and the location film-making was good. Roy Dupuis told CTV he took the role because the script was well-written. There I would have to disagree: the basic idea that a police detective would stick around after his "murder" victim turned out to date from 200 years ago is too silly for grown-ups. The director evidently had to dub in someone saying off-screen "It's still a murder investigation", presumably as a result of complaints in post-production. Even Dupuis as the detective looked confused and out of place when he heard the news from his lady archaeologist (McGregor). He was obviously thinking: why aren't I driving back to HQ and getting on with the next case like a real cop? Trouble is, this is not a conventional detective movie: the archaeologist is taking over and she is leading them both on a very queer investigation into ancient "healing" techniques which apparently are not even authentic. That's just as well, because if anyone ever attempted to use the method described here they would probably spend many years in prison. It's more appropriate in the hands of CIA torturers, called "waterboarding". I'd like to see Jane McGregor in a less neurasthenic role, and I'd like Dupuis to avoid phony roles like this in future, because he seems like a really good guy and deserves a lot better for turning down the big US dollars and staying in his beloved Canada. I'd like to send this note to the screenwriter/director Robert Budreau: try not to use flashbacks in your pictures. Try very hard, because they are extremely hard to handle, breaking the narrative pace and interrupting the character development. They are nearly always an ego-trip imposed by the screenwriter/director --- and who is that? It's you, Mr Budreau! Just one more thing: why doesn't Ms. McGregor hire a publicity agent? It's impossible to find a biography of her on the internet. For an actor, that's just perverse!

"That Beautiful Somewhere" is a movie that is very well shot but that's all it has going for it. Unless great cinematography is all you want in a movie or unless you are passionate about half-baked aboriginal myths, forget about this one.You might as well just look at a pretty picture of a swamp for over an hour and half and it will be as exciting as this movie is. The plot is absolutely idiotic bus mostly "That Beautiful Somewhere" is the slowest, most boring I can remember ever seeing. Even the acting, Roy Dupuis excepted, is amateurish. The leading lady's acting is particularly awful and robotic.A total waste of nearly 2 hours of my life!

The Beautiful Somewhere raises interesting questions about sacrifice and redemption, especially in regards to Conk's actions which leave the viewer wondering about the purity of his motives. The cinematography of the North is beautiful but seems like mere delicious icing on a fairly well baked cake. Unlike Terrence Malick's engagement with nature, where it becomes a character within the film, in The Beautiful Somewhere it remains merely beautiful. I was glad that the film didn't detour into hokey naturalistic transcendentalism leaving us with the tired nature good, civilization (esp. Catholicism) bad dichotomy. My only other complaint about the film was that the relationship between Conk and Catherine needed to develop further. A cold relationship warmed too easily and too quickly. I wasn't looking for answers but for more complexity.

This movie had a lot more to offer than I expected going in. There were a great deal of panoramic shots from North Bay and the surrounding area where the movie was filmed, there were well-developed characters, and there was a sense of intrigue. I saw this movie at a local screening with the author of the original book Loon there to answer questions at the end, so I can confirm that the native rituals described in the movie were fictional, so don't show this to your Native studies class.The acting was well done and the plot moved quickly with a surprising ending, but the relationship between the main characters seemed rushed at times. Overall, an excellent movie well worth a watch.