Barbarian Invasions

Theatrical Release Date: 2003 11 21 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 031398138327

Studio: Fox Home Ent. (lgf)

Summary: Director Denys Arcand revisits the situations and relationships that informed his international breakthrough The Decline of the American Empire with this dialogue-driven character study. Set 17 years after Decline, The Barbarian Invasions, like its predecessor, examines the varying politics -- economic, personal, and sexual -- at play among an aging group of friends, lovers, and ex-spouses. This time around, leads Remy (R?my Girard) and Louise (Dorothee Berryman) are divorced, with their son Sebastien (St?phane Rousseau) living in capitalist splendor in London. But the slightly estranged family is brought together by Remy's losing battle with terminal cancer, and the hedonistic, ex-radical father and straight-laced son have to overcome their differences. Along the way, Remy waxes nostalgic with many of the same pals who made up the dinner party of the first film. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Category: Comedy Drama

Awards: Best Foreign Language Film – null Best Foreign Language Film – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actress – Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay – Cannes Film Festival In Competition – Cannes Film Festival Best Picture – French Academy of Cinema Best Director – French Academy of Cinema Best Screenplay – French Academy of Cinema Best Foreign Film – National Board of Review Best Screenplay – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Foreign Film – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – Genie Awards Best Actor – Genie Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Genie Awards Best Supporting Actress – Genie Awards Best Director – Genie Awards Best Editing – Genie Awards Best Original Screenplay – Genie Awards Best Sound – Genie Awards Best Sound – Genie Awards Best Sound – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Best Sound Editing – Genie Awards Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Supporting Actor – Genie Awards Best Foreign Language Film – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Film Presented – Toronto International Film Festival

Barbarian Invasions

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 05/17/2011

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 99 Minutes

Language(s) French

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Mother's Calling [:28]
2. Burlington [7:57]
3. Setting Up the Room [5:52]
4. Barbarian Invasions [6:39]
5. Reunion [5:47]
6. Riding the Dragon [9:15]
7. Women of Fantasies [7:26]
8. Father and Son [4:34]
9. Reflecting on Life [5:17]
10. Looking for Nathalie [13:09]
11. The Cottage [6:34]
12. The Last Supper [3:38]
13. The Goodbye [1:59]
14. Credits [4:50]

Richie Unterberger

The Barbarian Invasions is a sequel of sorts to The Decline of the American Empire, though it's not absolutely necessary to see both of these Denys Arcand films to understand and appreciate The Barbarian Invasions on its own merits. Like the earlier work, The Barbarian Invasions is an entertaining mix of intellectual musings, humor, and bawdy sexual repartee, all of these elements often mixing together to varying degrees. There's also much engrossing dialogue, as well as excellent ensemble acting. It's a more sentimental film, however, particularly in its latter portion, as the main character faces the inevitability of his impending death, cosseted as best he can be by flawed but sympathetic friends and family. There are plenty of fine scenes here, ranging from pointed (and funny) satire of Canadian institutional bureaucracy in hospitals, law enforcement, and unions to more serious vignettes of ruptured families and a young junkie (played with gaunt believability by Marie-Jos?e Croze) struggling with a heroin problem. If there's any reservation to be expressed about the film's quality, it's that some threads are left dangling, not just in terms of plot resolution, but also in the moral questions that Arcand often examines. Though the dying R?my Girard is clearly a mixed bag of amusing, brainy raconteur and philandering cocksman, he seems to reach a rapprochement with his materialistic son St?phane Rousseau rather too easily. In addition, the serious flaws and repercussions of the son's attitude -- putting everything right for Girard to leave the world in loving comfort by basically buying and bribing whatever and whoever he can -- are left mostly untouched. The stirrings of a possible romance between Rousseau and Croze are only tantalizingly dangled as well. Of course, a premature death often leaves many such loose ends, and The Barbarian Invasions is a worthy look at a man forced to ponder the weightiest of questions too soon, even if some of them aren't wholly answered. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Denis Bouchard  Actor 
Sylvie Drapeau  Actor 
Yves Desgagnes  Actor 
Roy Dupuis  Actor 
Denys Arcand  Director 
Denys Arcand  Screenwriter 
Daniel Louis  Producer 
Denise Robert  Producer 
Pierre Aviat  Composer (Music Score) 
Rémy Girard  Actor 
Stéphane Rousseau  Actor 
Marie-Josée Croze  Actor 
Marina Hands  Actor 
Dorothee Berryman  Actor 
Johanne-Marie Tremblay  Actor 
Dominique Michel  Actor 
Louise Portal  Actor 
Yves Jacques  Actor 
Pierre Curzi  Actor 
Sophie Lorain  Actor 
Toni Cecchinato  Actor 
Mitsou Gelinas  Actor 
Isabelle Blais  Actor 
Markita Boies  Actor 
Micheline Lanctôt  Actor 
Jean-Marc Parent  Actor 

Country: Canada,France