The Twentieth Century

Name: The Twentieth Century
Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy
Released: November 20, 2020
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Brent Skagford, Catherine St-Laurent, Dan Beirne, Emmanuel Schwartz, Kee Chan

2020

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Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews

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The 20th Century

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Movie Details & Credits

Oscilloscope | Release Date (Streaming): November 20, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Brent Skagford, Catherine St-Laurent, Dan Beirne, Emmanuel Schwartz, Kee Chan, Louis Negin, Mikhaïl Ahooja, Sarianne Cormier, Seán Cullen, Trevor Anderson

Summary: Toronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of hisToronto, 1899. Aspiring young politician Mackenzie King (Dan Beirne) dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic vacillation between a British soldier and a French nurse, exacerbated by a fetishistic obsession, may well bring about his downfall. In his quest for power, King must gratify the expectations of his imperious Mother, the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, and the utopian idealism of a Québécois mystic before facing one, final test of leadership. Culminating in an epic battle between good and evil, King learns that disappointment may be the defining characteristic of the twentieth century!… Expand

Director: Matthew Rankin

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Comedy

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Liam Lacey

Nov 24, 2020

That core idea here, the pole in the middle of the merry-go-round, is that the stuffy, secretive King, as Robertson Davies suggests, is the embodiment of Canada’s locked-down colonial psychology. The Twentieth Century is a strange creation, though but there’s nothing unusual in the notion that Canadian blandness may be a form of camouflage. Anyone who has read history, or for that matter, watched a hockey game, knows that. Read full review

100

Chandler Levack

Nov 18, 2020

Rankin has a made a great film about Canada and an even greater one about the kinds of subjects somewhat contraband in our home and native land: unbridled romantic longing, living in fear of one’s own mother, a perverse desire to masturbate with a dirty work boot, political ambition and shame. Read full review

Charles Bramesco

Nov 18, 2020

Rankin’s ambitious thesis on how idiocy, horny neuroses, and pure chance come to sculpt the geopolitical narrative never gets bogged down by the social-studies minutia. He throws one dazzling diversion after another at his audience. Read full review

Slashfilm Andrew Todd

Nov 18, 2020

The film’s style is impeccable, its comedic delivery perfectly timed, and its editing sharp and energetic. A biopic by way of expressionistic absurdism, it’s a bold and uproariously funny statement of intent. Read full review

Alissa Simon

Nov 18, 2020

The more familiar one is with Canadian history, the funnier it is. But even without prior knowledge of our neighbor to the north, it can be enjoyed for its combination of supreme creativity, jaw-dropping audacity and amusing tongue-in-cheek dialogue. Read full review

Nicolas Rapold

Nov 19, 2020

Is it all a bit much? Sure, but the self-consciousness is baked in: Rankin names one public gathering place “Disappointment Square.” Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Dec 8, 2020

I’m inclined to cut The Twentieth Century slack for sending me on a deep Wiki dive into Canadian history, and the visual inventiveness and perverse camp of it all. But Maddin got there first, and his movies didn’t feel this gassed for the last half hour. Read full review

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