The Ernie Game

Very much of its time, perfectly enjoyable. Some typical 70's indulgent set pieces, but some great moments too, particularly the hitch-hikers going to Toronto. Recommended. From Wiki - "Called "One of the most innovative examples of personal cinema to come from English Canada in the Sixties" by the Cinematheque Ontario" "Owen risked his career at the NFB when he surreptitiously turned what was to have been a half-hour educational film into the of the few English-language dramatic features made in Canada during the 1960s." "Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, The Ernie Game received the Etrog Awards, now known as Genie Awards, for Best Direction and Best Feature Film in 1968."

Viewing THE ERNIE GAME after fifty years is a curious experience. What seemed like the break through of a new, vigorous source of movies tends to look like another Jean Luc Goddard re-tread now - improvisation, spontaneity, jump cuts, photo take freeze frames, pans between the actor profiles. This is not to say that the film is without it's pleasures - Alexis Kenner trying to shelter in the laundromat dryer, Judith Gault's matador dance, the dialogue with the neighbour about owning the back fence and now the unknown party guitarist has turned into Leonard Cohen. However the piece drags on and Kenner doing roguish charm can't redeem the anti social acts, a range of thefts and attempted murder committed by the character,

While doing a little research on Canadian cinema, I had the distinct displeasure of sitting through this atrocious film. The Ernie of the title is very possibly the most smug, most obnoxious, most irritating character ever to hit the screen; he runs around sponging off of women who ought to know better, declaring himself a "saint" and talking down to people as if they were four years old. (Of course, he fancies himself a writer despite never having written a sentence.) The lead actor is perfect- too perfect- in the role: he's so convincing that he makes an already annoying character completely intolerable, so much so that I decided I'd rather spend time with Buffalo Bill from "The Silence of the Lambs" than look at his horrible smirk ever again. Unless you're a Leonard Cohen diehard (he has a small scene in which he sings) my advice to you is flee in terror.

Viewing THE ERNIE GAME after fifty years is a curious experience. What seemed like the break through of a new, vigorous source of movies tends to look like another Jean Luc Goddard re-tread now - improvisation, spontaneity, jump cuts, photo take freeze frames, pans between the actor profiles. This is not to say that the film is without it's pleasures - Alexis Kenner trying to shelter in the laundromat dryer, Judith Gault's matador dance, the dialogue with the neighbour about owning the back fence and now the unknown party guitarist has turned into Leonard Cohen. However the piece drags on and Kenner doing roguish charm can't redeem the anti social acts, a range of thefts and attempted murder committed by the character,

Very much of its time, perfectly enjoyable. Some typical 70's indulgent set pieces, but some great moments too, particularly the hitch-hikers going to Toronto. Recommended. From Wiki - "Called "One of the most innovative examples of personal cinema to come from English Canada in the Sixties" by the Cinematheque Ontario" "Owen risked his career at the NFB when he surreptitiously turned what was to have been a half-hour educational film into the of the few English-language dramatic features made in Canada during the 1960s." "Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, The Ernie Game received the Etrog Awards, now known as Genie Awards, for Best Direction and Best Feature Film in 1968."

While doing a little research on Canadian cinema, I had the distinct displeasure of sitting through this atrocious film. The Ernie of the title is very possibly the most smug, most obnoxious, most irritating character ever to hit the screen; he runs around sponging off of women who ought to know better, declaring himself a "saint" and talking down to people as if they were four years old. (Of course, he fancies himself a writer despite never having written a sentence.) The lead actor is perfect- too perfect- in the role: he's so convincing that he makes an already annoying character completely intolerable, so much so that I decided I'd rather spend time with Buffalo Bill from "The Silence of the Lambs" than look at his horrible smirk ever again. Unless you're a Leonard Cohen diehard (he has a small scene in which he sings) my advice to you is flee in terror.

While doing a little research on Canadian cinema, I had the distinct displeasure of sitting through this atrocious film. The Ernie of the title is very possibly the most smug, most obnoxious, most irritating character ever to hit the screen; he runs around sponging off of women who ought to know better, declaring himself a "saint" and talking down to people as if they were four years old. (Of course, he fancies himself a writer despite never having written a sentence.) The lead actor is perfect- too perfect- in the role: he's so convincing that he makes an already annoying character completely intolerable, so much so that I decided I'd rather spend time with Buffalo Bill from "The Silence of the Lambs" than look at his horrible smirk ever again. Unless you're a Leonard Cohen diehard (he has a small scene in which he sings) my advice to you is flee in terror.