A review of C'EST PAS MOI, JE LE JURE !

Why is growing up such a traumatic experience in Quebec cinema ? From Léolo to C.R.A.Z.Y., the number of movies showing childhood as a hard step in one’s life is surprisingly high and filmmakers don’t seem to get tired of this theme. Philippe Falardeau’s C’est pas moi, je le jure ! (It’s Not Me, I Swear) is a new addition to the subgenre, but even knows it follows a familiar path, it remains a powerful psychological drama and a fine exemple of the best the province had to offer this year.

Léon Doré is every parent’s nightmare. The innocent looking ten years old kid is a compulsive liar, a thief and a vandal with suicidal tendancies. The summer his parents divorced will be one to remember. Leaving her two sons and her husband’s oppression behind, Miss Doré decides to start a new life in Greece. Finding himself loveless, the troubled child is ready to try anything in order to meet his mother again, even if it means breaking and entering the neighbourhood’s houses.

One can imagine what a challenge adaptating Bruno Hébert’s C’est pas moi, je le jure ! and it’s sequel, Alice court avec René, was to Philippe Falardeau. Both novels met a tremendous success in Quebec and even became required readings in some high schools and colleges. Falardeau’s script follows the original material quite faithfully with the elimination of a few characters and a drastic change that will surprise some readers. What remains from the source is what made it an instant classic : darkly comic dialogues, unbearable tensions and an unforgettable main character. The new medium also allowes the story to takes new shapes. The cinematography by André Turpin is stellar, some images will remain in your head long after the screening and you will want to watch the film again just to analyze some of the shots. We could also go as far as claiming that C’est pas moi, je le jure ! could be the most cinematographical mainstream film made in Quebec this year. Instead of restricting itself to a look closer to television, it dives into the possibilites offered by the big screen and creates art.

The casting is also quite fantastic. As Léon’s mother, Suzanne Clément, an actress capable of the best and the worst, gives an honest and touching performance. The rest of the adult actors are all good by remaining realistic, there’s no caricature to be found here. But it’s the kid that steal the show. Antoine L’Écuyer understands the complexity of Léon’s character with surprising maturity. He plays his role with a touching fragility, making us laugh and cry both at the same time. Watch out for this young talent, we will definitely see a lot more of him in the future.

This film could have been a new masterpiece if it wasn’t for the last act where things start to drag a lot. Falardeau’s decision to go beyond the first novel’s conclusion keeps him away from a very strong ending for his film and makes the rest worthless. He should have kept all this material for a sequel.

If you’re ready to spend a few hours in the mind of a troubled teenager, this is the film you’re looking for. You might feel a bit dirty when the film is over, but you won’t regret seeing this one.