Not to jinx things, but it seems like Canadian film is starting to blow up. Earlier this year Toronto was shown in all its glory with Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, and now we have Chandler Levack's sophomore feature Mile End Kicks taking us straight into the heart of 2011 Montreal. If her first film I Like Movies didn't scratch the Canadian itch for you, her latest most certainly will.
While Ferreira is the film's lead, Devon Bostick is the star of the show. There's few people who have had more range in a young career like Bostick, and this might be his crowning achievement. As the band's lead guitarist he delivers some of the most hilarious moments in the film, while also acting as a bit of an anchor for Grace. She wants to be with his bandmate Chevy (played by Stanley Simons), but Bostick's Archie is the one you're rooting for the whole time. Simons as Chevy is also a big highlight though, offering a bizarre but consistently entertaining romantic foil. Among the ensemble I also loved Juliette Gariepy as the woman Grace is staying with in Montreal, as well as Isaiah Lehtinen as the band's bassist. Jay Baruchel also appears in a rare sleazy role for him that he does a good job with.
Mile End Kicks stars Barbie Ferreira as Grace, an early 20s music critic who moves from Toronto to Montreal for the summer with the hopes of writing a book on 'Jagged Little Pill'. She quickly befriends a local indie band whose lead singer she becomes smitten with. Sadly, her goal of falling in love in the city is harder than she'd hope when her interest lies in the singer Chevy, and writing a book can be hard when guys in bands take up so much of your headspace.
Similar to I Like Movies, Levack gives us a protagonist that at times can be really hard to root for. You initially pull for Grace as a female writer surrounded by men, but as the film goes on her stream of poor decisions and disregard for others make her a pretty grating character. By the end I did find myself connecting with her again, but for a lot of the runtime she can be hard to care for. I do appreciate the character on the whole though, as it seems Levack put a lot of herself into Grace, and delivering a very flawed self portrait is something I can easily commend. Luckily, the moments where you aren't so fond of Grace are carried by an all around delightful ensemble.
While Ferreira is the film's lead, Devon Bostick is the star of the show. There's few people who have had more range in a young career like Bostick, and this might be his crowning achievement. As the band's lead guitarist he delivers some of the most hilarious moments in the film, while also acting as a bit of an anchor for Grace. She wants to be with his bandmate Chevy (played by Stanley Simons), but Bostick's Archie is the one you're rooting for the whole time. Simons as Chevy is also a big highlight though, offering a bizarre but consistently entertaining romantic foil. Among the ensemble I also loved Juliette Gariepy as the woman Grace is staying with in Montreal, as well as Isaiah Lehtinen as the band's bassist. Jay Baruchel also appears in a rare sleazy role for him that he does a good job with.
With a film centered around music you need a good soundtrack, and Mile End Kicks delivers mightily on that point. Obviously the Alanis Morrissette music is much appreciated, but the original music from TOPS is perfect for creating the film's fictional indie band. It's music that feels like it fits the time and space, while also simply being good music to listen to. I also have to applaud the film's ability to take us back in time, as a low budget movie perfectly evoking 2011 is quite an achievement.
There are points where Grace's stream of poor decisions gets to be a bit too much, and that leads to a chunk of the middle act dragging quite a bit. Regardless I enjoyed this quite a bit, it isn't anything groundbreaking but it's an entertaining adult coming of age flick that paints a strong portrait of female music critics working in a largely male field. 3.5/5
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