Emile (2004)

Editor's Note Accomplished British actor Sir Ian McKellen stars in this Canadian picture as Emile, a 65 year-old man torn apart by memories of his troubled past. Consumed by guilt over abandoning his family when he was young, Emile makes a last attempt to reconnect with his only living relatives. Director Carl Bessai seamlessly blends the past and present in retelling Emile's life story. Much of the film's key events are examined through flashbacks, with the real and imaginary intersecting throughout. Emile's fragile state of mind is reflected through this interweaving of the past and present, suggesting that he may never escape the past enough to really be present in the current moment. Exploring the conflict between wanting to be independent from one's family, and feeling the need to be connected, EMILE is a well-written and extraordinarily well-acted drama that deals with the complexities of human emotions.

	Deborah Kara Unger
	Tygh Runyan
	Ian McKellen

Los Angeles Times
"EMILE is at heart a reverie, a meditation on the past and its treacheries, the ways in which people become flawed, and the eternal though often elusive possibility of forgiveness and redemption." 02/04/2005 p.E6