Starring Marie-Josee Croze, Jean-Nicolas Verreaut, Stephanie Morgenstern, Pierre Lebeau, Klimbo. Written and Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Bibiane (Croze) runs a chain of successful high-end fashion stores. Raised in an affluent and influential family, her lifestyle is fast-paced. But her world is empty, revolving around her work (which she increasingly fails to show up at), her trendy upscale apartment and nights out in hip night clubs. Having ended an unwanted pregnancy and facing the loss of her business after mismanaging some foreign transactions, she seeks to escape to the bar scene, bringing strange men home. Her best friend (Morgenstern) tries to get her to stop her destructive lifestyle, but Bibiane continues to drift aimlessly. One of these nights, drunk and on her way home from a nightclub, Bibiane is involved in a hit and run. She has little recollection of what happened, but soon discovers evidence that implicates her. She begins to lose control of her life and considers suicide. Will this be her end, or can Bibiane redeem herself? Opening the Perspective Canada program at the Toronto Film Festival, Maelstrom is alternately bleak, depressing, and uproariously funny, and it is also inventive and unpredictable. The movie is narrated by a fish, or actually a series of fish. While this may sound gimmicky, the device is used sparingly for the most part, and with considerable humour and wit. The film opens with an extremely graphic abortion scene, and we immediately see the emptiness in Bibiane's life. And despite the bad things that happen to her - the reckless partying, the promiscous pickups, the hit-and-run accident, the poor work ethic - Bibiane remains sympathetic throughout. We are able to see Bibiane not in terms of evil or mean-spiritnes, but in terms of unhappiness and needing guidance and meaning in her life. A lot of guidance. Two performances stand out. Marie-Josee Cloze stands out as the aimless Bibiane, injecting her with considerable empathy. She skillfully makes a seamless transition from her lost and confused beginning to a more giving and loving being by the end. Jean-Nicolas Verrault as Anniston Karson, son of the man Bibiane hit with her car, starts off stoically but slowly reveals a gentle, humourous side that is the catalyst for Bibiane's redemption. Images of water and fish abound throughout. Like David Lynch sneaking images of raging fire into Blue Velvet, Villeneuve every once in awhile imposes churning water. At first appearing to be inserted just for artistic effect, we eventually see how both fish and water connect to the characters and their lives. He employs the device of showing (at least) two different scenes with different perspectives - a seemingly insignificant meal of tough octopus, and when Bibiane meets Anniston. Instead of being just another technique, both times additional insight into different characters is gained, and the effect of the death of a seemingly insignificant man is shown to be anything but to the various people who were in his lives. The ending is uplifting and appropriate. Maelstrom is a film that gets better and better, and if you don't mind a few artsy flourishes, it is well-worth seeing. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page