Who By Fire
Contemporary Cinema
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2h 35m
Directed by Philippe Lesage | 155 mins | 2024
Secluded getaways rarely go well in cinema, and the incredible concision of "Who by Fire" allows one to quickly surmise unease. Just how it does so, in its altogether surprising cohesion of character and incident, further proves Philippe Lesage a major voice. When Blake Cadieux, a popular filmmaker, gathers with his old friend Albert in a countryside mansion, an intergenerational clash forms between the former collaborators, Albert's teenage son and daughter, and the son's friend: brutal arguments over artistic vocation, adolescent romantic infatuations, and the threat of severe violence ensue. All of which plays before stunning widescreen landscapes and between genuine joy—safe to say the B-52s have never had better cinematic treatment—rendering "Who by Fire" a potent study of what makes life worthwhile.
Up Next in Contemporary Cinema
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The Demons
Directed by Philippe Lesage | 118 mins | 2015
Philippe Lesage’s fifth feature also marks his narrative debut, begetting an uncommon blend of atmosphere and storytelling. When a group of young boys are kidnapped in his suburban Montreal town, Felix, a fear-riddled 10-year-old, finds his wild imagi... -
Genesis
Directed by Philippe Lesage | 130 mins | 2018
"Genesis" takes one scene, if not a single second, to evince complete harmony between director and subject. In Philippe Lesage’s award-winning 2018 feature, itself a stealth sequel to "The Demons", Théodore Pellerin ("Lurker", "Beau Is Afraid") and No...
