White Lies (1998) Reviews

• A racy take on the whole hate problem, canadian style.

  rjpurves2001-09-05

  There are spoilers in this review. Read with caution if you haven't seen this film yet. No matter where you stand on the whole issue of hate between people of different religions, colours and creeds, you WILL read something different into this film depending on personal perspective. I must point out it's very difficult to try and review a film without letting my own personal bias creep in. I will state for the record that i'm totally opposed to violence and that people who discriminate are fundamentally stupid NO MATTER what colour or creed or religion they are. So here I am, the day after i've watched this film and i'm still thinking. This is good. What isn't good is the fact I found the films intentions slightly confused. For a start, the title is bound to provoke. Why? "White Lies" is a very sweeping statement to make when lies are all around us every day (and not just from white people either). So we start out with a central character who (and let's face it) could be a sister or a daughter of any of us in the western world. Through the standard parental apathy that seems to permeate western culture, her questions are unanswered and ridiculed when all she wants is some answers. Then she falls in with some people who give her answers but probably not the right ones... On a realistic point of view, my own experiences of hatred would make this film very realistic indeed even down to the "recruitment" of Sarah Polley's character and the fact that whether you're racist or not, violence permeates both sides. Sarah Polley conveys a staggering range of emotion during the film, ranging from an insecure shy girl to a swaggering cocky young woman through the influence of her new "friends". Her "friends" gave her the support her school and family never did. Perhaps the most devestating part of the film is the televised debate between her and the anti nazi character. Watch it and see what you think. The direction of Kari Skogland has an unusual aspect to it. It seems to be more experimental in it's use of camera technique to convey emotion. Kari uses unusual techniques which make this film difficult to watch at times but is well worth it if you persevere though. Dennis Foon's writing is incredibly believable. The dialogue is exemplary in the fact that I could believe the lines the actors were given to say. Before you put that down to an individual actor/actress' performance, there is some dreadful acting in this film but the lines are still good. Credit must be given for a very believable story line which only had one slight flaw in my opinion where it came down to Sarah Polley's character trying to get a termination for her unwanted pregnancy. You'd think an intelligent if mislead girl like her would have taken precautions before sex. (I'm told that the canadian schooling system is excellent when it comes down to sex education but even an ignorant britisher like me knows what to do. This makes it all the more irritating.) This film pulls it's punches and pulls them well. The starting titles with all the bodies hanging from the lamp posts on a city street (a la what happened to italian dictator Benito Mussolini) gives a good impression of how dark this is going to get and it does. The suicide scene is particularly memorable and shocking. To sum up, I was impressed with this film. At times it is difficult to watch but then so was "American History X". The subject matter is not for everyone. My earlier comment of personal bias creeps in now. You will get out of it what your bias is. I found it to be an excellent example of what kind of things go on, but by that token I can imagine how some could use it to justify their ideals. Certainly worth watching at least once.

• How shallow

  lsat2001-03-19

  This film examines the problems with racist organisations, but does not tackle the very appropriate question the lead character has that leads her to the racist organisation. Therefore, the film can only be seen as anti-racist propaganda, which is laudable by itself, yet by advancing the question that leads the character to join in with racists but never answering it causes the film to fall flat. Very poor job.

• Surprising, but ultimately lacks courage

  MattB-51999-08-31

  Have watched this several times on cable, had never heard of it and was pleasantly surprised. Sarah Polley is a very good and appealing actor and her character in this movie is fascinating. The movie is shocking at first by attacking the closed mindedness of the liberal orthodoxy of thought at universities today and the oppurtunists that use charges of racism to squelch dissent. Catherine Chapman thinks and says many things early in the movie that many people think secretly but are afraid to say for being branded, this is highly unusual for any film these days to face reality head on like this. Unfortunately, this courage dwindles at the end and the producers of the movie play to the grandstand like all mainstream movies do and create cartoonish, reprehensible, easy to hate skinhead nazis as bad guys and Catherine repents. How disappointing, I wish the movie had continued to explore the gray areas of racial politics, where what is 'right' is not so clear as when nazis are involved, but rather there are intelligent people who have a legitimate argument against an entrenched political correctness and have a right to be heard without fear of being treated like pariahs by the establishment.

• Big potential, small payoff

  Adam Tan2000-09-09

  This film sets up with similar promise (and similar premise) to that of the far superior AMERICAN HISTORY X. It, sadly, falls well short of realizing that potential. It is well shot and extremely well acted, but lacks any sort of moral commitment or center. After watching the film, I was left to ponder whether or not director Kari Skogland felt that the Neo-Nazi movement- specifically this group, called N.I.M., the National Identity Movement- was a negative force in Canadian society or a misunderstood faction under siege by evil and violent "Anti-Racists." The only compelling- I should say the only likeable- characters were Nazis; the super-intelligent and sympathetic main character Catherine Chapman, starring brilliant young actor Sarah Polley, the Grandmotherly Mrs. "K," lovingly portrayed by the reliable Lynn Redgrave, committed and affable Erina Baxter, played convincingly by Tanya Allen and charismatic Rex Brennan, brought to life by Joseph Kell. The other side, the aforementioned "Anti-Racists," are either self-serving demagogues or faceless automatons chanting, picketing and committing acts of violence against N.I.M. and its members. At one point, they even fire bomb N.I.M. headquarters, badly burning a N.I.M. footsoldier. The head Anti-Racist is the ambitious and sleazy Alan Greene (played by Albert Schultz), who has many run-ins with the N.I.M. poster-girl Catherine Chapman (Code Name "Hot Head") throughout the film. He never comes off as either noble or trustworthy in the film and ultimately manipulates Catherine for his own gain. I'm certain the film was intended to be a study of how easily disaffected youth can be caught up in the rising tide of this type of hate group. This mark is missed, however, and the main character begins and ends the film sounding like a victim of anti-White, anti-Christian hatred. Not nearly enough set-up is dedicated to Catherine's feelings of despair and lack of connectivity. Only an essay entitled "Christmas Is Dead," which she wrote and narrates at the onset of the film, gives us even a glimpse. The essay, by the way, reeks of Right-Wing propaganda and is delivered in voiceover narrative as the film's set-up. Some things are briefly hinted at, like her inability to secure a part time job because she doesn't speak Cantonese, but nothing is ever explored and the film deteriorates into predictable plotlines and plot devices- she's even murdered by her Nazi ex-boyfriend in what (surprise!) turns out to be a dream. There's also the subplot of her pregnancy to that same Nazi ex-boyfriend, which evaporates in an instant before our eyes without ever having so much as a shred of impact on the story. There are a lot of great Canadian films- and a lot of great films dealing with the issue of hate groups- being made. This one doesn't fit either category.

• This movie renewed my faith in the Canadian film industry

  Jodie-41998-12-06

  As a prospective Canuck filmmaker, I was thrilled with this movie. It was well acted, wonderfully experimental and dealt with racism frankly. If you have access to this movie, I highly recommend watching it!