Film Review: Red Road

I had read that this film was entered in five film festivals and won awards at several. Why then is it playing only at the Royal? I support small independent theatres but this film is a winner and should be more available. I also was not sure where the Royal Cinema was and walked from Front and Jarvis thinking the theatre was at Spadina and College. It turns out it is west of Bathurst. I was ready to sit down no matter what was playing. It turns out it was all worth my effort of such a long walk. This is a joint UK/ Danish effort. I could certainly see the Danish influence in the darkness of the film. I sat on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. You are led along a path and are never sure where it is taking you until near the end of the film.
Jackie has the job of watching monitors on a closed circuit TV system. She sees what is going on in the outside world and reports problems to the police. She watches a couple having sex in a field. She watches a man leading his dog that has a health problem. The only social life she leads is sporadic meetings with a boyfriend in his van. Her life is dark and we don’t know anything about her. She spots a man in her monitor who seems familiar. She follows him and even takes risks by going to his apartment. Who are this man and what is she trying to find out? This is a suspenseful film so I will not ruin it for you. Trust me, it is worth watching. We learn more about her life and what part this man played in her life. There is one scene of him having oral sex with her that is very graphic but the filming is always perfect. The film moves slowly and it is always dark. Jackie is always on screen and is superb in the part. Slowly the film unravels and we learn why Jackie is so doer. We see her come to terms with her past problem and leave with the sense that perhaps she might now get on with her life. Watch for this film. I have a feeling that we will see it playing in other cinemas. It is a masterful production.