Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)

Just so...so bad

It is a performances centric movie

Better Late Then Never

A Brilliant Conflict

Rhymes for Young Ghouls is a difficult but very important story I believe every Canadian should watch. It poignantly captures the anger of a system that leaves one powerless; it is artful, relentless, and occasionally funny. Harsh reality blends with magical realism as the film explores themes of childhood vs. adulthood, power vs. powerlessness, and forgetting vs. remembering.As a non-Indigenous viewer I can't speak to how accurately it describes life on a reservation during the time of residential schools, but the daily challenges of the community, terrors of residential schools and relationship with the Indian Agent ring true to so many of the stories shared by elders at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Metis writer Chelsea Vowel writes in "Why Every Canadian Should Watch Rhymes for Young Ghouls" that it "is not just a film. It is a glimpse into something none of us really want to see but must face". I appreciated her review on CBC:"For me, the familiarity of the events: alcoholism leading to accidental death, suicide, incarceration, poverty, the vulnerability of having only illegal means to keep oneself and one's family safe, the brooding presence of the residential school; all of it evoked a litany of statistics that are all too real in too many indigenous communities. Even though it is a work of fiction, and some facts were blended for dramatic reasons, every single event portrayed has happened, and is happening in our communities. And this should be what haunts all Canadians. The fact that this film was set in the 70's, when my parents were young adults on their way to starting our family, affected me in a way I could have never expected. It was too close for comfort. I was born in that decade. This is far from being ancient history.The absolute power of the Indian agent highlighted in this film at first seems implausible. That is, until you learn about the history of the Indian Act. The power of the Indian agent to withhold rations and blankets, resulting in the deaths of indigenous people in the late 1800's, was not lessened, but merely changed form with every Indian Act amendment, well into the late 20thcentury.Was there ever an Indian agent this corrupt, this vile, this abusive? Perhaps not in exactly the same way as portrayed in this film, but based on the stories that exist in indigenous communities, this character is not wholly unbelievable. The system created to give power to Indian agents created the perfect opportunity for abuse of that power." (http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/why-every-canadian-should-watch-rhymes-for-young-ghouls-1.2687357)At times the writing and scene transitions are a little rough, but it seems to work with the rough storyline and the incredible acting more than makes up for it. I would recommend this film to all Canadians- it is neither resoundingly hopeful or hopeless, but a haunting telling of Canada's seldom-told history.

A good film where Mi'kmaq is spoken in it. However this delves into the horrors and abuses Native kids were forced to endure at the residential schools (aka death camps). This film depicted a more radical form of the abuse those poor kids had to go through. I guess it seemed more radical to me since the music that accompanied the film made it appear that way. But nonetheless this one showed the abuses the kids went through similar to some other Native films depict.The scene at the beach where Glen Gould's character and her daughter were kidnapped and taken hostage by the residential school staff, the Indian Agent and RCMP: although it was a film, I was still disgusted at how they all took turns in beating him and his daughter up like that! The daughter was not under 18 so she should not have been sent away to the damn school. As for her father, it was insane how they took him, tied him up to a chair and beat him mercilessly literally for nothing! At the beach they told him he "wasn't supposed to go out onto the water". I don't know WHY he wasn't supposed to do that but they "charged" him for doing that.Anyways... I give this film an 8 out of 10.

If I were asked to define a POS movie... Rhymes for Young Ghouls would fit the description. You spend half the movie trying to figure out who is who. The acting is barely OK, but at its core this flick has little to offer and practically no redeeming quality whatsoever. Depressing and dark without any type of direction. Characters are shallow and portray the Native American as a worthless carcass of a person. Ridden with vices. It simply emphasizes the stereotype of the 'lazy Native American'. Paining a reality that is basically not helping anyone comprehend the true nature of the ethnic group. Focusing solely on the negative aspects with little in line with the rich TRUE nature of native beliefs.Even a story told by a grandmother to her 'inherited granddaughter' has no reason, logic or applicable teaching. Unlike ACTUAL Native American stories. This movie is shallow, soulless and frankly stupid.A total waste of time really.

It has a flaw or two, but this debut feature from Native Canadian Jeff Barnaby is very, very good. Think "Mean Streets" meets "Dance Me Outside" with a little bit of magic realism sprinkled in, and you'll get a sense of how this film works. It's probably the best First Nations film I've seen since "Smoke Signals," back in 1998."Rhymes for Young Ghouls" follows the story of Aila, a parent-less teenage girl living on a Mi'kmaq reservation in Canada during the 1970s. To help make ends meet, she sells marijuana with her uncle to the local pot smokers on the reserve. This draws the attention of Popper, a sociopathic federal Native Agent who takes much pleasure in tormenting and beating Mi'kmaq people like Aila and her friends. Nobody can sell marijuana on the reserve unless Popper gets his cut of the profits.Much of the film plays like a dark visual poem, and the imagery and cinematography are very strong. Barnaby lifts some of his imagery and ideas from Mi'kmaq culture, pop culture, horror movies, and what is probably personal experience from growing up on a reservation himself."Rhymes for Young Ghouls" gets a big thumbs up from me. This is an impressive debut feature film, and I look forward to seeing Mr. Barnaby's future projects.