Charles Officer’s (pictured left; courtesy of cbc.ca) first feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy introduces us to three interesting characters whose lives are connected by birth, circumstance and chance. Jude (Karen LeBlanc) is a nurse and single mom, who suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia while also taking care of Ciel (Daniel J. Gordon). Ciel is a mature 12 year-old, who turns to music and magic for answers. By circumstance and chance, Jude meets Silence (Clark Johnson); a lonely street fighter searching for a more fulfilling life.
To tell you more about the plot would defeat the purpose, as it is my point here to encourage you to see the film and become involved in the story while having some patience. The pacing can feel slow at times, which admittedly will not be everyone of you. There is not much in terms of dialogue and this may feel tedious. However, this is no standard plot. I like the fact that one has to keep an open mind to see where the director wants to go with these characters. What is also interesting is Officer’s use of light and music to give each of the main characters more depth and allow us to sense their mood and state of mind. Personally, I love the fact he chose to have the actors play vinyl records throughout the film. I grew up in the vinyl era and have a certain nostalgia for childhood memories that are linked to music. The film also depicts some magic-realism throughout the story, which to some, may seem out of place. If one understands the culture in which it is rooted, however, one is able to grasp its importance.
LeBlanc and Johnson (of Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire fame) play the leads consistently and there is a connection that is felt without words. As well, Gordon is outstanding in his performance and he is able to hold his own alongside LeBlanc and Johnson.
I read some reviews of the films and a few writers find the story not well structured and a bit melodramatic. I’d say judge for yourself. You may agree with me or not but at least, you have taken the chance to see it. For a first feature, I think Officer has done a good job considering the budget he had to work with and the caliber of actors he was able to cast. The one agreement among reviewers is that the soundtrack and cinematography work well in this film.
The film first premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and has been seen around the film festival circuit. LeBlanc won the Best Actress award at the Atlantic Film Festival and Johnson won the Best Actor accolade at Whistler. I had the chance to see the film as part of The First Weekend Club‘s Canada Screens series at the Drake Hotel’s Underground lounge… a nice and intimate setting in which to see the film. Officer was in attendance and was able to provide the audience with more background information as to how long it took from writing the script to actually finishing production. You can find such information on the film’s website. The film showcases Toronto, local talent (in acting and music) and it is a well-crafted first effort on the part of Charles Officer. I hope those of you who see the movie spread the word. The film opened this weekend at the Royal and AMC Yonge & Dundas theatres.
