Once in a while, you come across a Canadian film that makes you think: “Why do we need to flock to Hollywood when there is such talent and creativity right here at home?” First-time, Toronto-based director Charles Officer brings us just such a movie with Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
Opening tonight (Bob Marley’s birthday) and running at the Royal Cinema and AMC Yonge & Dundas, Nurse.Fighter.Boy features an all-local cast which includes: Clark Johnson (as the fighter Silence), Karen LeBlanc (as the nurse June), and Daniel J. Gordon (as the boy Ciel). Significantly, all three actors have been nominated for ACTRA Awards.
The film is an artistically shot urban love story which delves into many pressing social issues facing Toronto’s black community … such as youth violence, the importance of black father figures, the lure of fast money and the devastating effect of sickle cell anemia.
Director Charles Officer and producer Ingrid Veninger successfully avoided the trap of going down the easy road of clichés and stereotypes. The characters and the storyline are credible and skillfully leave us just at the border of our hunger. It would have been easy to overdo it.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy’s effectiveness can almost be as much attributed to the actors’ strong performances as to the musical soundtrack. Simply put, the music is amazing. Again, we find the cream of the crop of Toronto’s local talent, such as a mesmerizing tune by Zaki Ibrahim. Other artists include Ndidi Onukwulu, K’naan, Citizen Cope, Mikey Dread, Terry Callier and Brightblack Morning Light.
Go see it in large numbers this weekend, as the community’s support will greatly contribute to the continued screening of this cinematic gem.
See trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3lrG4BZU04
More at www.nursefighterboy.ca
Director Charles Officer will be present to answer audience questions tonight (Feb. 6th) and tomorrow after the 7:15 pm shows at AMC Yonge & Dundas and after the 9:30 p.m. shows at the Royal Cinema. See below for full screening details.
Royal Cinema - 608 College (at Clinton St.), Toronto - tel. (416) 534-5252
Fri, Sat: 7:00, 9:30
Sun: 4:30, 7:00, 9:15
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu: 7:00, 9:15
AMC Yonge & Dundas 24 (AMC)
Toronto Life Square, 10 Dundas St. East, Toronto
Fri: 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:55
Sat, Sun: 12:25, 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:55
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu: 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:55
