Impolite (film)

Impolite
Directed byDavid Hauka
Written byMichael McKinley
Produced byRaymond Massey
Starring
CinematographyRobert McLachlan
Edited byLara Mazur
Music byBraun Farnon
Robert Smart
Production
company
Well Mannered Films Inc.
Distributed byVanguard Cinema
Release date
  • September 16, 1992 (1992-09-16) (TIFF)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Impolite is a Canadian mystery film, directed by David Hauka and released in 1992.[1] The film stars Robert Wisden as Jack Yeats, a burned-out journalist who is investigating the death of wealthy businessman Naples O'Rorke (Christopher Plummer).[2]

The cast also includes Suzy Joachim, Kevin McNulty, Stuart Margolin, Jill Teed, Susan Hogan, Timothy Webber and Katherine Banwell.

The film premiered at the 1992 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

Reception

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The film received mixed reviews from critics. Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail called it more a work in progress than an accomplished film, writing that "At best, the references form an organic part of the plot, and give the deathly puzzle an epistemological kick ("Truth is a matter of opinion," someone mutters). At worst, they're a bit show-offy and sophomoric, like listening to a bunch of sherry-sippers in an undergraduate common room. The same highs and lows can be seen in McKinley's working out of the mystery itself - the resolution is opaque, with a lot of loose ends, some of which seem deliberate and provocatively murky, others of which seem accidental and confusingly shoddy."[4] Katherine Monk of the Vancouver Sun wrote that "At times Impolite is so well-read, it can lose you in its quickness - like a Stoppard play that thrives on inside intelligentsia jokes. (Here, at least all the inside jokes are Canadian.) At other times, it can have you scratching your head in search of a linear through-line the way Lynch is apt to do, and other times, heck, it feels as down home as an episode of the Beachcombers."[2]

Plummer received a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 14th Genie Awards in 1993.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. ISBN 1-894073-21-5. p. 105.
  2. ^ a b Katherine Monk, "Ambitious feature offers one wild ride". Vancouver Sun, June 18, 1993.
  3. ^ "Canadian Shows Off". The Globe and Mail, September 4, 1992.
  4. ^ Rick Groen, "Film Review: Impolite". The Globe and Mail, August 13, 1993.
  5. ^ "The Lotus Eaters strong contender at Genies". The Globe and Mail, December 11, 1993.
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