The New World

Rob and I saw this last night. We pieced the story together, comparing notes upon leaving, updating each other on the different parts we nodded off. So I wouldn't recommend the late show!
But I would recommend this movie! This is cinema as high art, take it or leave it. It felt akin to reading a Rudy Wiebe novel. Sometimes bewildering, sometimes plodding but always amazing to look at, this is film as poetry. I'll spare you a re-telling of the plot, you can hit the link to Metacritic and choose one of many reviews raving about it. I'll probably get more from this film from the numerous times it will play on the History Channel. You really get a sense of what it might have been like, the first interactions between European and Aboriginal cultures, with all the glaring differences. In that way, though the movie is set in Virginia, it's a very Canadian story. Not since Black Robe have we seen it set on the screen so well.

Since I am raving about Terrence Malik, I also want to recommend searching out Day of Heaven. It's similar, a love story set within some historical setting, this time the 20's. It's set in Texas but was filmed in Alberta with some stunning cinematography, the province is the uncredited fourth star of this film.

UPDATE: I had to republish this post, the new template didn't like the previous one