"The Favourite Game", the movie

[jarkko]

The film version of The Favourite Game is set to
debut in a film festival here in Montreal on February 20th.
- Dan Levy, Montreal

To all our friends in Montreal:
Let us know the details when available!
Jarkko

[lizzytysh]

Perfect.

My birthday.

A lovely gift from far away, which I'll belatedly see and treasure.

~Elizabeth

[mamalex]

has anyone seen this? is it any good? is it availible on u.s. compatible dvd? where?

[jarkko]

The DVD was released on July 5. For more go to
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/favgamemovie.html
Jarkko

[September_Cohen]

You can get it on Amazon.com
I got it.
It's a perfect movie.
JR Bourne is as grey as Leonard.
Marvellous.

[peterhmm]

My wife Laura rented this DVD recently that we watched. The character, Leo Breavman, seemed to have a crucial moment at the camp, or I did as a viewer....

...also...throughout the movie i found...

The man who played--Leo--Breavman,.....JR Bourne had a quietness about him. I found his quiet speech to be--reflect of the disquiet undertone. I liked the movie very much. I can't say if it transalated well.....as I have not read the book.

I suggest to anyone here reading this--watch it.

I liked how I felt when I watched it.

Peter

[lizzytysh]

Hi Peter ~

Welcome to the Forum ! Your description of the movie [along with September Cohen's comment] sounds intrigueing. I hope to buy it, but in the meantime would settle for watching it. It's not available here, yet, in the video stores.

~ Elizabeth

[margaret]

It isn't available here in the UK at all not when I last checked anyway.

[peterhmm]

Hi,

FYI,

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B ... 36-1948804

The movie is availabe at the above link, or search just do a search for DVD at http://www.amazon.ca


Peter

[linmag]

I too got the DVD from Amazon Canada. The price was reasonable and delivery prompt, and I had no problem playing it on my machine here. I liked the movie very much, though it differs substantially from the book in places.

[Sophistikitten]

I just saw The Favourite Game last night at a friend's house. What can I say? The only good thing about this movie was that Leonard Cohen's songs played in the background.

The acting was horribly stiff, the actor who played Leo did not look Jewish one bit and overall he was not believable, the casting for this movie was simply awful! It clearly was a great disappointment for me. We groaned throughout the entire movie...they could have done a much better job with Leonard's novel.

And the park...maybe I am a slave to details but the park in the film is not the park in the novel (the one in Westmount by his childhood home). Am I mistaken? We did, however, get a bit of a sad chuckle at that. No one takes their children to regularly play in that park, as they depicted in the film. "Look Mommy! I found a syringe!".

Anyway, there are a few comments here about the film. Has anyone else viewed this movie recently and what did you think?

[tomsakic]

linmag, can you burn dvd?

[Tchocolatl]

Just a few words about the movie. This movie is not supposed to be the novel on screen. It is supposed to be a poetic event built around symbols reflecting the essence and colours in this particular novel. The viewer is free to participate or to stay passive. The hero is not supposed to look alike Leonard Cohen. For me I do not mind for the choice of the park because it is another symbol that is just a piece among others of the symbolic poetic puzzle that movie is. Only for God sake, where was the SNOW. No snow, just a little layer of white flake, meager, I understand that the movie in enterely constructed around images, but here, please put some snow. Snow please, Mr. Filmaker. The final scene is a kind of mystery holy scene and must have been treated accordingly, in the kind of other mystery that is deep fresh white shiny snow under the moon in a deep blue December crytal cold falling night, not like a Ah!-not-budget-anymore,-it-is-cold-and-damp-outside,-let-finish-it-and-have- -a-cup-of-coffee". I dream that they would fix this film likewise some day.

I kiss eveybody (who is volonteer) good-bye again!

[Sophistikitten]

Oh very true...the lead character did not have to look like Leonard. That's not what I was wanting. I just wanted him to look a little more Jewish and less French Canadian (since his surname is Breavman)...and I also wanted his teeth to look less alarmingly white, but I think that's another story, haha. There wasn't too much snow, eh?! Montreal has too much of it in the winter-time!

They could have done so much more with a better cast of actors. That's all.

[Tchocolatl]

He is not French Canadian. He is not looking more French Canadian than some Jews I knew, or English Canadian or German or Polish or American or Spanish or French or English etc. His teeth seemed to be the target of a lot of critics. I stop trying to ask me why after the third I read. To easy to see the teeth, maybe, againts this movie that is as unusual as this smile. And bright I add. I don't know.

For the last scene I do not want to say too much in regard of people that have not read the novel yet.

And personal tastes are not to discuss, one can like a poem and another one do not, sometimes for the same reasons. I do not send armed commando againts people who do not share my tastes and are criticising something I like, only I let know of my point of view. If it is chocking for some people, what can I do. Be sorry? I do not feel sorry but I can be polite and say : I'm sorry.