100 Best Canadian Films – Kevin Laforest

One of the reliable film critic-bloggers from Montréal, Kevin Laforest regularly publishes film reviews on his website Extra Beurre. His 100 Best Canadian Films list shows a knowledge, breadth and diversity of Canadian cinema, which is an honor to our cinephilia. These films can provide hours of enjoyment and reflection and you should seek some of them out if you haven’t seen many. If I can personally recommend two: they would be La Tête de Normande St-Onge (by one of my favorite Canadian directors Gilles Carle) and André Turpin’s Zigrail (which recently played at FNC and is in process of getting restored).

I need to thank Kevin for contributing to this 100 Best Canadian Films series and to everyone else that already has. Usually I've been asking folks, whether in person at film events or online, if they want to contribute. I know that it’s work to put these together and that there is no compensation, that this blog has no ‘institutional’ weight and working relationships can be on the line, but that shouldn't be a good enough reason for all of the non-responses to my emails and friendly rejections to the offer (which can become disheartening), by folks whose mandates seem to be on the contrary to promote Canadian cinema. I would like to post many more 100 Best Canadian Films lists, by more diverse contributors, but what more can one do? Other, more ironic responses that I've gotten includes jokes about never having seen that many Canadian films or not being able to list that many great ones. But, in all seriousness, I still think the project is worth it - after the series is over, I plan to put them all together in a master list. When the public perception of a cinephilia of Canadian cinema is that it’s non-existent, I hope that these lists provide more hope and that they show that there is a serious engagement with the films, TV and media made in the country. I’m always open to get more of contributions. Let me know if you're interested.

100 Best Canadian Films is an open series of personal surveys of Canadian cinema history. Other lists includes those by Steve Gravestock, Olena Decock, Dan Browne, Réalisatrices Équitables and Films Fatales Montréal, Helen Faradji, Fabrice Montal, Stephen Broomer, Paul Corupe, David L. Pike, Jerry White, André Loiselle, Paul Williams, Greg Klymkiw, Pat Mullen, Jason Anderson, Daniel Kremer, Yves Lever, Piers Handling, Marcel Jean, Mike Hoolboom and myself.  – D.D.

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Kevin Laforest’s 100 Best Canadian Films

- Neighbours (Norman McLaren, 1952)

- Les Désœuvrés (René Bail, 1959)

- À tout prendre (Claude Jutra, 1963)

- Le chat dans le sac (Gilles Groulx, 1964)
- Le Révolutionnaire (Jean-Pierre Lefebvre, 1965)

- Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (Donald Brittain and Don Owen, 1966)

- On est au coton (Denys Arcand, 1970)

- Mon oncle Antoine (Claude Jutra, 1971)

- Les Maudits sauvages (Jean-Pierre Lefebvre, 1971)

- La Vraie nature de Bernadette (Gilles Carle, 1972)

- Réjeanne Padovani (Denys Arcand, 1973) 
- Les Ordres (Michel Brault, 1974)

- The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Ted Kotcheff, 1974)

- La Tête de Normande St-Onge (Gilles Carle, 1975)

- Gina (Denys Arcand, 1975)

- Parlez-nous d’amour (Jean-Claude Lord, 1976)

- Rabid (David Cronenberg, 1977)

- Comme les six doigts de la main (André Melançon, 1978)

- Pea Soup (Pierre Falardeau and Julien Poulin, 1979)

- Les bons débarras (Francis Mankiewicz, 1980)

- Elvis Gratton (Pierre Falardeau, 1981)

- Le Confort et l’indiférence (Denys Arcand, 1982)

- Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)

- The Dead Zone (David Cronenberg, 1983)

- La Guerre des tuques (1984, André Melançon)

- The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986)

- Jésus de Montréal (Denys Arcand, 1989)

- Simon les nuages (Roger Cantin, 1990)

- Ding et Dong, le film (Alain Chartrand, 1990)

- Léolo (Jean-Claude Lauzon, 1992)

- Requiem pour un beau sans-coeur (Robert Morin, 1992)

- Le Temps des bouffons (Pierre Falardeau, 1993)

- Nô (Robert Lepage, 1997)

- Yes Sir! Madame… (Robert Morin, 1995)

- Zigrail (André Turpin, 1995)

- Karmina (Gabriel Pelletier, 1996)

- Le Violon rouge (François Girard, 1998)

- Matroni et moi (Jean-Philippe Duval, 1999)

- eXistenZ (David Cronenberg, 1999)

- Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)

- Lost and Delirious (Léa Pool, 2001)

- 15 Février 1839 (Pierre Falardeau, 2001)

- Le Nèg' (Robert Morin, 2002)

- FUBAR (Michael Dowse, 2002)

- Les Invasions barbares (Denys Arcand, 2003)

- La Face cachée de la lune (Robert Lepage, 2003)

- La Grande séduction (Jean-François Pouliot, 2003)

- Gaz Bar Blues (Louis Bélanger, 2003)

- Les Aimants (Yves Pelletier, 2004)

- A History of Violence (2005, David Cronenberg)

- La Neuvaine (Bernard Émond, 2005)

- Petit Pow! Pow! Noël (Robert Morin, 2005)

- C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2005)

- Congorama (Philippe Falardeau, 2006)

- Cheech (Patrice Sauvé, 2006)

- Away From Her (Sarah Polley, 2006)

- Bon Cop Bad Cop (Érik Canuel, 2006)

- Jonas: La Quête (Jean-François Pilon, 2007)

- Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007)

- Surviving My Mother (Émile Gaudreault, 2007)

- My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2007)

- Silk (François Girard, 2007)

- Le Ring (Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, 2007)

- Tout est parfait (Yves Christian Fournier, 2008)

- C’est pas moi, je le jure! (Philippe Falardeau, 2008)

- Babine (Luc Picard, 2008)

- Le Banquet (Sébastien Rose, 2008)

- new denmark (Rafaël Ouellet, 2009)

- Polytechnique (Denis Villeneuve, 2009)

- La Donation (Bernard Émond, 2009)

- The Trotsky (Jacob Tierney, 2009)

- Grand Ourse, la clé des possibles (Patrice Sauvé, 2009)

- De Père en flic (Émile Gaudreault, 2009)

- À l’origine d’un cri  (Robin Aubert, 2010)

- Les Sept jours du talion (Daniel Grou, 2010)

- Incendies (Denis Villeneuve, 2010)

- Curling (Denis Côté, 2010)

- 2 fois une femme (2010, François Delisle)

- Monsieur Lazhar (Philippe Falardeau, 2011)

- The High Cost of Living (Deborah Chow, 2011)

- Camion (Rafaël Ouellet, 2012)

- Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg, 2012)

- Rebelle (Kim Nguyen, 2012)

- Goon (Michael Dowse, 2012)

- Tu dors Nicole (Stéphane Lafleur, 2014)

- Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014)

- Endorphine (André Turpin, 2015)

- Turbo Kid (RKSS, 2015)

- Les Êtres chers (Anne Émond, 2015)

- Le profil Amina (Sophie Deraspe, 2015)

- The Forbidden Room (Guy Maddin & Evan Johnson, 2015)

- Prank (Vincent Biron, 2016)

- Juste la fin du monde (Xavier Dolan, 2016)

- King Dave (Daniel Grou, 2016)

- Tuktuq (Robin Aubert, 2016)

- Nelly (Anne Émond, 2016)

- Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau (Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie, 2016)

- Les Affamés (Robin Aubert, 2017)

- La Petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes (Simon Lavoie, 2017)

- Le Problème d’infiltration (Robert Morin, 2017)

100 Best Canadian Films – Steve Gravestock

An important figure in Toronto film culture, Steve Gravestock is one of the senior programmers of Canadian features at the festival and responsible, with the help of a great team, for programming most of the Canadian films that screen at the Lighbox (Canadian Open Vault, Canada on Screen) and Canada’s Top Ten.

I need to thank him for introducing me to the work of Don Owen (who he wrote the book on) and Paul Gross (Hyena Road), now two of my favorite Canadian directors, and to many other great Canadian films and filmmakers. And it’s Gross’s Men with Brooms that I think provides an image of what a harmonious Canadian cinephilia would look like: that of having a positive relationship with the previous generation, and building bridges between them, which is illustrated in the film through the communal symbol of a beaver. You can see this in Gross's work through the casting of Gordon Pinsent (The Forest Ranger) in Men with Brooms and Due South, and which continues now in the work of Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle). In good faith and care, working together to create and remember some of the country's heritage: the 100 Best Canadian Films series can, I hope, play a role in this larger project.

100 Best Canadian Films is an open series of personal surveys of Canadian cinema history. Other lists includes those by Olena Decock, Dan Browne, Réalisatrices Équitables and Films Fatales Montréal, Helen Faradji, Fabrice Montal, Stephen Broomer, Paul Corupe, David L. Pike, Jerry White, André Loiselle, Paul Williams, Greg Klymkiw, Pat Mullen, Jason Anderson, Daniel Kremer, Yves Lever, Piers Handling, Marcel Jean, Mike Hoolboom and myself. Please let me know if you’re interested in contributing. – D.D.

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I am sure I missed films. These are just my favourites of the moment. Probably completely random, and I skipped a few that should be on there for lesser known titles. Plus I think I have too many. – S.G.

Steve Gravestock’s 108 Best Canadian Films

- À tout prendre (Claude Jutra, 1963)

- The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Ted Kotcheff, 1974)

- August 32nd on Earth (Denis Villeneuve, 1998)

- Ava (Sadaf Foroughi, 2017)

- Bernard Émond Trilogy: Contre toute espérance (2007), La donation (2009), La neuvaine (2005).

- Bestiaire (Denis Côté, 2012)

- Between Friends (Lou Antonio, 1983)

- The Bitter Ash (Larry Kent, 1963)

- Boy Meets Girl (Jerry Ciccoritti, 1998)

- C'est pas moi, je le jure! (Philippe Falardeau, 2008)

- Calendar (Atom Egoyan, 1993)

- Careful (Guy Maddin, 1992)

- Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau (Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie, 2016)

- Comic Book Confidential (Ron Mann, 1988)

- Corbo (Mathieu Denis, 2014)

- Crime Wave (John Paizs, 1985)

- Curling (Denis Côté, 2010)

- Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)

- Le Déclin de l'empire américain (Denys Arcand, 1986)

- Derrière moi (Rafaël Ouellet, 2008)

- Dirty (Bruce Sweeney, 1998)

- Double Happiness (Mina Shum, 1994)

- Down to the Dirt (Justin Simms, 2008)

- Earth (Deepa Mehta, 1998)

- Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007)

- Emporte-moi (Léa Pool, 1999)
- The End of Time (Peter Mettler, 2012)

- The Five Senses (Jeremy Podeswa, 1999)

- The Forbidden Room (Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson, 2015)

- Fubar 2 (Michael Dowse, 2010)

- Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)

- The Grey Fox (Phillip Borsos, 1982)

- Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave (David Acomba, 1980)

- Hard Core Logo (Bruce McDonald, 1996)

- The Hard Part Begins (Paul Lynch, 1973)

- Heaven on Earth (Deepa Mehta, 2008)

- Highway 61 (Bruce McDonald, 1991)

- Highway of Heartache (Gregory Wild, 1996)

- Hi-Ho Mistahey! (Alanis Obomsawin, 2013)

- Hogtown: The Politics of Policing (Min Sook Lee, 2005)

- Hurt (Alan Zweig, 2015)

- Imagine the Sound (Ron Mann, 1981)

- The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn, 2006)

- Kissed (Lynne Stopkewich, 1996)

- L'eau chaude, l'eau frette (André Forcier, 1976)

- La sarrasine (Paul Tana, 1992)

- Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (Donald Brittain and Don Owen, 1966)

- Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2012)

- Last Night (Don McKellar, 1998)

- Le vieux pays où Rimbaud est mort (Jean Pierre Lefebvre, 1977)

- Léolo (Jean-Claude Lauzon, 1992)

- Les Amours imaginaires (Xavier Dolan, 2010)

- Les bons débarras (Francis Mankiewicz, 1980)

- Les Ordres (Michel Brault, 1974)

- Life Classes (William D. MacGillivray, 1987)

- Lost Song (Rodrigue Jean, 2008)

- Low Self-Esteem Girl (Blaine Thurier, 2000)

- Loyalties (Anne Wheeler, 1987)

- Machotaildrop (Corey Adams and Alex Craig, 2009)

- Mansfield Park (Patricia Rozema, 1999)

- Manufactured Landscapes (Jennifer Baichwal, 2006)

- Mariages (Catherine Martin, 2000)

- A Married Couple (Allan King, 1969)

- Mean Dreams (Nathan Morlando, 2016)

- Monkey Warfare (Reginald Harkema, 2006)

- Monsieur Lazhar (Philippe Falardeau, 2011)

- My American Cousin (Sandy Wilson, 1985)

- My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2007)

- Next of Kin (Atom Egoyan, 1984)

- Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography (Bonnie Sherr Klein, 1981)

- Notes for a Film About Donna and Gail (Don Owen, 1966)

- Nothing (Vincenzo Natali, 2004)

- Outrageous! (Richard Benner, 1977)

- The Paper Wedding (Michel Brault, 1989)

- Paperback Hero (Peter Pearson, 1973)

- Pink Ribbons, Inc. (Léa Pool, 2011)

- Pontypool (Bruce McDonald, 2008)

- Pour la suite du monde (Pierre Perrault, Michel Brault and Marcel Carrière, 1963)

- Project Grizzly (Peter Lynch, 1996)

- Prologue (Robin Spry, 1970)

- Rat Life and Diet in North America (Joyce Wieland, 1968)

- Réjeanne Padovani (Denys Arcand, 1973)

- Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Jeff Barnaby, 2013)

- Rude (Clement Virgo, 1995)

- Sarah préfère la course (Chloé Robichaud, 2013)

- Secret Ballot (Babak Payami, 2001)

- The Silent Partner (Daryl Duke, 1979)

- Skid Row (Allan King, 1956)

- Skip Tracer (Zale Dalen, 1977)
- Sleeping Giant (Andrew Cividino, 2015)

- Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley, 2011)
- The Tar Sands (Peter Pearson, 1977)

- Trailer Park Boys (Mike Clattenburg, season one) and The Cart Boy (Mike Clattenburg, 1995)

- The Trotsky (Jacob Tierney, 2009)

- Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (Guy Maddin, 1997)

- Une jeune fille (Catherine Martin, 2013)

- Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)

- La vraie nature de Bernadette (Gilles Carle, 1972)

- Wavelength (Michael Snow, 1967)
- waydowntown (Gary Burns, 2000)

- We Can't Make The Same Mistake Twice (Alanis Obomsawin, 2016)

- Werewolf (Ashley McKenzie, 2016)

- The Wild Hunt (Alexandre Franchi, 2009)

- You Are Here (Daniel Cockburn, 2010)

- Zero Patience (John Greyson, 1993)