Séraphin: Heart of Stone (2002)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

This had the potential to be a gripping and tragic tale but fell flat. Character development is weak, many scenes are pointless. What should have been a sad and tragic tale merely had me shaking my head wondering what the director was thinking. There is no sufficiently convincing case for Donalda to marry Seraphin; What, so her spineless father can keep his general store running? Once married to Seraphin, she for some reason feels compelled to remain true to this deplorable monster. The problem is, there is no convincing case made as to why she feels so bound to him - most of the town is on her side and sees her marriage to him as wrong in the first place. Pierre Lebeau's role as the utterly detestable Seraphin is convincing however, which makes the supporting roles that much more absurd.

The reason why «Un homme et son péché» got so much attention from the public and the medias was that the original story is a classic here in Québec. The movie is not truly a masterpiece, but it's still good to watch.The story was changed: there is a lot more sexuality in this version and, unfortunately, some things do not make sense because all the references to the importance of religion at that time in Québec are gone.I believe the dialogues sometimes sounded very fake, but it also depended of the actor. I think the girl that did Simone could really take some more acting courses (but it's only a small role) and Karine Vanasse also is not as superb as some said. I even found it difficult at some moments to understand what emotions she was trying to project.The music was beautiful and the scenery magnificent!I'd like to comment some of the actors performance: Lebeau was great, Seraphin really made me sick and it was the kind of performance that after, in each movie I see the guy, I see Seraphin, his greatest role (like when you see Audrey Tautou and you think «Amélie!»). Roy Dupuis's performance was better in this movie than in any one I saw before, he did quite a good job [for once]. Also some characters like the one Benoit Briere incarnates and also the priest were very convincing. And finally, I believe if Vanasse works a bit more, she'll end up being a quite good actress (hey, she's very young, so she has time to learn).The ending scene with the double-meaning scream of Seraphin «C'est moé qui brûle!!!» also brings a lot of emotion and some depth.

Un Homme et Son Peche is not an uncommon film. The plot follows the exploits of a rural Quebec village at the turn of the century. This movie has been made before, in fact this film is based on a TV show which itself is based on a radio play.What is unique about this film is its attention to details. The sets are impressive, built for the film. The cinemagraphy captures the natural beauty of Northern Quebec perfectly. Its as though you could touch the screen and feel the characters world.The acting is not bad. I'm not a big fan of Roy Dupuis, but he did manage to make me feel genuine emotion for his character.This film has become a phenomenon in Quebec, likely to become the Provinces highest grossing domestic film ever. I think this film will be remembered more as a force than for its story, but that's ok as long as it is remembered at all

Well... I just saw this movie an hour ago. Not only it touched me, but it's also a total gem. Karine Vanasse, a young actress of 19 years old is astounting as Donalda. With her GREAT acting(probably the best one ever done in a French-Canadian film or even EVER), she simply brings us to tear. She has the power to take your heart and tear it. I'm a guy, it is a huge accomplishment. hehe When I left the teather, I felt like this story happened in front of my eyes. The wonderful job of the crew team gives us a strong impression of reality, which helps to touch us. On the other hand, they make a great job too with including humor to remind us that were watching a movie. They do that exactly when it is so touching that you have no control on your feelings, so it helps to regain control of yourself. Pierre Lebeau did an amazing job as Séraphin, we hate this man to the point that we want him to die, so Alexis and Donalda can live their beautiful love story. There's no cliché in this movie. Unlike in «Les dangereux», we did not wanted to do exactly like the american movies, we wanted to create a believable 1890 period of time which would represents the French-Canadians.I give 9.5 out of 10 to this movie because a movie can't be 100% perfect! But, it's close to be perfect! Everyone in the world should see this touching love story that goes directly to our heart. I hope that more people on this website will see this movie because it is a French-Canadian classic!