Susan Granger’s review of “The Barbarian Invasions” (Miramax Films)
In this contemporary French Canadian drama, writer/director Denys Arcand reunites some of the cast from his “The Decline of the American Empire”(1986), a highly acclaimed, art-house comedy of manners that revolves around a group of philandering Montreal academics. As the story begins, Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) discovers that his estranged father, Remy (Remy Girard), is suffering from neglect in the overcrowded ward of a chaotic, almost dysfunctional Quebec hospital. “I voted for Medicare, and I’ll accept the consequences,” sighs the once-radical and hedonistic old man. But Sebastien is a successful venture capitalist in London, and he’s ready to open his wallet to diagnose and treat his father’s terminal illness. Using blatant bribery, he is able to circumvent the unwieldy hospital bureaucracy and union rules to transform an unused hospital wing into a fully-equipped, private suite. Then he tracks down the heroin-addicted daughter (Marie-Josee Croze) of one of his father’s former mistresses and convinces her to administer that illegal drug to dull Remy’s pain. Finally, he summons those whom his father once held near and dear to celebrate the final hours of this “sensual socialist” with love and attention. Think of a satisfying deathbed reunion of “The Big Chill”-types. Denys Arcand’s literate dialogue reflects an astute historical perspective while skewering the Canadian health care system and the superficial intellectualism of his well-delineated characters. Particularly memorable are Remy’s witty ruminations on “barbarians” throughout the history of mankind, concluding with the religious fanaticism of Al Queda. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Barbarian Invasions” is a poignant 9. It’s a provocative generational portrait.
