SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD (32 ) Movie Review

Using an approach as unconventional as his subject, Canadian director François Girard has illuminated the life of the enigmatic pianist Glenn Gould with ingenuity, intelligence, and frequent flashes of brilliance. Gould's genius came complete with a thick layer of eccentricity and controversial decisions, not the least of which was his sudden retirement from live performance in order to dedicate himself exclusively to recording. Gould, who died in 1982 at the age of 50, is played here—“channeled” might be a better word—by the mesmerizing Colm Feore in a demanding and elegantly modulated performance, all the more impressive due to the intentionally fragmented nature of the movie's structure. The 32 short films of the title are all incidents or moments in Gould's life that may be representative of him (and may or may not be literally true), but are never meant to be seen as the definitive solution to the puzzle of his life. This is that rare “biopic” that doesn't try to explain the unexplainable, but instead celebrates it. In one particularly haunting, stunning sequence called “Truck Stop,” Gould sits in a roadside restaurant and listens selectively to the conversations and sounds around him. Just as Robert Altman has done with the sound mix of so many of his films, Gould tunes in and out of the noises and voices he hears (as do we via the soundtrack) and we can see on his face that he is pulling rhythms—music—out of the everyday cacophony all around him. It's a small, thrilling moment in a film that provides many. 32 Short Films about Glenn Gould marvels at the unfathomable mystery of human creativity, yet is itself creative enough to make us feel we've witnessed it.

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1993 94m/C CA Colm Feore, Gale Garnett, David Hughes, Katya Ladan, Gerry Quigley, Carlo Rota, Peter Millard, Yehudi Menuhin, Bruno Monsaingeon; D: Francois Girard; W: Don McKellar, Francois Girard; C: Alan Dostie. Genie Awards ‘93: Best Cinematography, Best Director (Girard), Best Film, Best Film Editing; Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘95: Best Foreign Film. VHS, LV COL