Visionary Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin pays tribute to his beloved hometown with this goodbye letter and self-described "docu-fantasia" that is equal parts transcendental rumination, historical chronicle, and personal portrait. In the first segment, Maddin's camera drifts dreamlike through crowded trains as a floating kielbasa hangs from the ceiling and the director/narrator ponders just why the city boasts the most sleepwalkers per capita of any major international city. Later, the viewer is
treated to images of numerous historical monuments in the city as they learn about such key historical events as the Winnipeg General Strike, the defeat of the Winnipeg Jets, and even the Golden Boy pageant scandal and a racetrack tragedy that found numerous horses sent to an icy death. As the third and final segment gets underway, the director draws inspiration from filmmaker William Castle to present pivotal -- and often traumatic -- events from his childhood that left an indelible mark while simultaneously serving to mold his unique vision of his beloved Winnipeg. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
In the narration Maddin claims that Winnipeg has ten times as many sleepwalkers as any other city in the world, and though he's surely making this up, it conveys his own sense of entrapment amid the town's dreaminess.
Maddin's exploration of his dysfunctional family life mirrors the crumbling facade of this major city. The symbolism is potent; the skill with which Maddin applies it, masterful.
My Winnipeg is too funny and touching to be labeled purely experimental. It's magical, but the type of movie magic all can enjoy, if they only take a walk through the winter wonderland known as Winnipeg.
Given its unusual blend of fact and fiction, the film is a real head-scratcher. Like most -- if not all -- of Maddin's films, it's as bewildering as it is visually arresting. And yes, that means it's an acquired taste.
It's actually Maddin's most accessible film, and underneath the surreal images and foreboding narration is a relatively familiar message: You can go home again. And if you do, feel free to take some creative liberties here and there.
A visual poem about... well, Winnipeg. A fascinating projection of Guy Maddin's memories and personal mythologies about the city where he was born and raised, juxtaposed upon a fantastical recount of historical facts and urban legends with his trademark silent film aesthetic, grainy and ethereal. It's self-indulgent
perhaps, but watching it is enrapturing like discovering a completely new world. A perfect example of how realities become extraordinary when observed through an extraordinary prism.
August 11, 2009
Elvira B
Super Reviewer
It sounds weird, but this is just the type of film I'd make if I were a filmmaker. It's like the dude voiced out my deepest, darkest, insomniacest sentiments and filmed it in a sort of hyper-nostalgic, Caligari surreal docudrama. It's a perfect homage to a weirdo town and you get the feeling the guy really, really
loves living there. This is a GOOD movie.
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