Emile (2003)
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57% of critics liked it
(23 reviews) -
61% of users liked it
(1,191 ratings)
Independent Canadian filmmaker Carl Bessai directs Emile, the final entry in his identity trilogy that started with Johnny and Lola. Ian McKellen plays Emile, a retired university professor who travels from England to his hometown in Canada in order to accept an educational honor. Visiting the… More Independent Canadian filmmaker Carl Bessai directs Emile, the final entry in his identity trilogy that started with Johnny and Lola. Ian McKellen plays Emile, a retired university professor who travels from England to his hometown in Canada in order to accept an educational honor. Visiting the family farm in Saskatchewan, he recalls his childhood relationships with brothers Freddy (Tygh Runyan) and Carl (Chris William Martin). He stays with his grown-up niece, Nadia (Deborah Kara Unger), who still hasn't forgiven him for his misdeeds of the past. Trying to make up for abandoning her, Emile develops an emotional bond with her daughter, Maria (Theo Crane). Emile premiered at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Directed By
- Carl Bessai
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Mar 4, 2005 Wide
- Studio
- Castle Hill Productions
Critic Reviews
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Scott Foundas, Variety
A routine memory piece about long-buried family secrets that bubble back to the surface to wreak havoc.
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Confusing the profound with the pretentious, director Bessai packs the story with elliptical, ominous flashbacks that undercut all the advances he makes with the contemporary tale.
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V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Tenderly touches our emotions.
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Stephen Holden, New York Times
Sir Ian McKellen is at his tweediest and most persnickety as the title character in Emile, the portrait of an eminent scientist who returns from England to his homeland, Canada, to receive an honorary degree from the University of Victoria.
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David Blaylock, Village Voice
It's appropriate that the director calls this the final chapter in a trilogy about struggling with one's identity -- he shows none of his own while mishandling someone else's.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Ian McKellen
as Emile
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Deborah Kara Unger
as Nadia
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Theo Crane
as Maria
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Chris William Martin
as Carl
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Tygh Runyan
as Freddy
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Ian Tracey
as Tom
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Janet Wright
as Alice
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Nancy Sivak
as Superintendent
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Frank Borg
as Taxi Driver
